It May Not Come
Someday is a day in the future. For many, today is not someday because their lives ended yesterday. As a result, anything they were putting off until someday is now a lost opportunity. Procrastination is an opportunity killer. Delaying, stalling, and putting off some things probably is not harmful. But for other things it can be catastrophic. Tomorrow might not come and that means someday might not be available.
Here are three somedays that I have observed in the lives of many who think someday is still available.
Someday I Will Prepare for Retirement
Inevitably, many will reach an age where employment for income will not be an option. Health, mental capacity, and strength may all play a role. That doesn’t mean retirement is work-free, but the work is often without obvious monetary compensation. If you start to plan for retirement someday, you might not have sufficient days remaining to make the choices you should make today.
Someday I Will Complete That Project
Ask my wife about this one. There are usually a couple of started projects that should be completed. There are no safety issues involved, but there are things that can deteriorate over time if you don’t take care of them before they become an even bigger project. Recently our sump pump failed to pump water and we had a small water problem in the basement. That turned into a much bigger and more time-consuming project. The good news is that this also created an opportunity to take care of another three projects with the help of our daughter and her family. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the most important projects.
Someday I Will Repent and Love God and Love Others
Jesus told a parable about a rich fool that is repeated every day in the lives of thousands of souls. This person did number one well (retirement planning), but he never got a chance to do number three.
“And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:19-21
“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:13-14
“Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God. That is today’s opportunity. It starts when we accept the salvation provided by God. Until that day, no other someday matters.
How to Identify a Follower of Jesus
They have priorities. Jesus gave us the list and it isn’t a long one.
“And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
Five Minute Friday
This post is part of the weekly Five-Minute Friday link-up.
All scripture passages are from the English Standard Version except as otherwise noted.
Know Your Flocks & Herds 