7 Days

"What if you knew you only had 7 days until Christ returns?" I heard David Jeremiah ask this question this morning, and it really struck me. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds. What if that was how long you knew you had left. Not one hour or one minute longer.

What would change?

Who would you ask for forgiveness?

Who would you forgive?

What would you eliminate from your schedule? What would you add?

Who or what would be your top priorities? Would it be your stuff, your things, your appearance or would it be your family and your friends and your relationship with Christ?

What would you be worried about? Your bank account? Your accomplishments... or lack thereof? Would you really be focused upon whether you are appreciated or applauded or would you be fixed upon applauding and glorifying the God of all glory?

Who or what would you spend your time and effort in worshipping?

And if the answer would change based on the fact that you knew, without a doubt, that He would return in exactly 7 days (or actually now about 6 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes), why not change TODAY? For which of us is guaranteed tomorrow? And how do we know but that He could return next week, or tomorrow... or tonight.

I don't know about you, but I want to be ready. I want to be faithful. I want to be worshipping Him and not any other infinitely lesser thing in this world. I want to be busy loving the people He has so graciously placed in my life and loving Him. I want to be making much of Jesus, rather than much of myself. And seeking to encourage and comfort others in the few days that God has given me to make an eternal difference. I want to be a conduit of forgiveness and mercy and love in a desperately dark world. I want to be fully present, fully alive, fully thankful and grateful for His extraordinary goodness and grace in my life.

Ask yourself: what if all I have left is 7 days till He comes back? Whatever needs to change... by the grace and power of God, do it today. TODAY--for it may be all you have.

To God, the eternal I Am, be all the glory.