DO YOU BECOME WEARY?
I would never describe myself as depressed or melancholy. I am not the sort to sit and brood upon days that have now slipped into the past. I learned many years ago that as soon as one second of time slips by I cannot ever change its content. And so, I seldom concern myself with yesterday. But, even I can be slapped in the face when great compilations of failure and nonproductive years amass before my consciousness.
I had one of those moments recently. I say moments because I do not allow them to remain. However, the thoughts I had that day caused me to rethink my daily activities. And in that respect negative thinking can be positive.
As I sat at my table with breakfast and coffee I broke down in great tears of remorse. I am not being melodramatic. I am very serious. You see, each of us knows ourselves better than anyone else. And I know at least some of what God could have done with my life. And as I sat here I made the mistake of reflecting. I saw the multitude of years wasted. I saw great destruction and devastation of years that should have, and could have, been used for so much more. Years of time, not days or weeks but years completely void of service. I sat for some time in tears of remorse and brokenness. I asked myself if there really was any purpose to continuing into the last years of life with so much failure in my past. No, I was not suicidal. My question was simply “do I just grab a bench on the sideline of life and wait for the end?”
Many Bible characters came to mind quickly, men and women that God used later in life. And many others whose great contribution to the plan of God for this world was simply a single act in a single moment of time. I began to be encouraged when I remembered that tomorrow could be the best day of my life and my greatest service to God. Maybe I did mess up the first 40 years of my Christian life, but that doesn't mean today can't be great. I reminded myself of a phrase I coined many years ago, “Never allow failure to defeat you.” Failure only wins when we finally give up. And as I sat here feeling sorry for myself the question came to mind, “do you still have breath?”
Psalm 150 says, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbral and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
If I am alive and still breathing I can praise Him in song and testimony everywhere I go and in every conversation I have. Is that a “small” thing? The final Psalm was dedicated to this one thought, that we praise God. I can't believe it is only a “small” thing. When God gives this much time to conveying one thought it must be a very great thing. I still have breath. With all of my tomorrows I will do this one great thing, I will praise the Lord and I will not allow yesterday to steal even one more of my tomorrows.
Psalm 150 says, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbral and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
If I am alive and still breathing I can praise Him in song and testimony everywhere I go and in every conversation I have. Is that a “small” thing? The final Psalm was dedicated to this one thought, that we praise God. I can't believe it is only a “small” thing. When God gives this much time to conveying one thought it must be a very great thing. I still have breath. With all of my tomorrows I will do this one great thing, I will praise the Lord and I will not allow yesterday to steal even one more of my tomorrows.
God gave you breath...Praise ye the Lord.
