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Articles
This Very Night
"But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’" Luke 12:20
One never knows when that divine appointment with God will be. Walking daily with the Lord makes all the difference. Yet, there is another aspect that this passage brings out that we sometimes have more trouble with.
Instead of this very night, we have yet another night. And, then we have yet another night. If we knew that this night would be our last night, we’d get our affairs in order and be ready. The challenge is when we have another thousand nights or ten thousand nights remaining. The race is not a sprint but an endurance. Keeping going can be one of the greatest challenges. Another day at work. Another week here. Another year. That ole’ calendar can lure us to a spiritual dullness and sleep. We can put our lives on autopilot and just drift.
We can muster up the energy for a week, a special event, a difficult trial, but how to keep the fires burning decade after decade? That’s the challenge. Many have started well. Many have started strong. And, had they experienced a “this very night” time, they would have been ready. But now, many, many nights later, the fire flickers in their hearts. Other things seem to become more important. Ballgames, traveling, jobs, doing what they want to do have shifted the “seek ye first the kingdom of God,” to fourth or fifth place in their lives. Attendance isn’t as consistent as it once was. The desire to teach and help out is not so keen anymore. As the ole’ river of life flows onward, some have dropped out all together. Just not as interested as they once were. Just not as important as they once thought it was.
So, how does one keep going spiritually, decade after decade? Some have done it. Some didn’t do so well. Some seem to be stuck in a ritual of tradition. Keeping the fires for Christ burning brightly, that’s the call and that’s the challenge.
First, realize that our journey may well be a long marathon. Those that run long distances understand the importance of pacing yourself. There is a moment when runners hit what is called the “wall.” That just about does them in. They are aware of this and they push hard to get past that moment. And, as the finish line nears, there seems to be a new burst of energy. That’s the picture for runners. How about us on our spiritual journey? There are some parallels. Pace yourself. Recognize that you may have bouts of discouragement and disappointments. But what helps runners and what helps Christians, is proper training. Recognize when you are getting sluggish in your walk with the Lord. That is the time to change things up and pour more effort into your walk with the Lord. The devil will recognize that you are slowing down. He’ll put things in your life to distract you and get you to coast and eventually stop.
Having special studies helps. Attending area Gospel meetings helps. Doing things for someone else helps. Praying is a must. Pray long, hard and deep, especially when you are tired and you feel like taking your foot off the accelerator. You can’t expect the church or others to do this for you. Taking ownership of your own faith is essential.
Second, don’t try to live a lifetime today. Set small goals. Read through different books of the Bible. Try other translations. Try writing down questions. Try praying for specific people on certain days. It’s the mindless rut that you are trying to avoid. Try sitting in different places for worship. Focus on being strong and doing something worthwhile today. The woman that anointed Jesus did what she could. She didn’t do everything. She only did what she could. And, so will you. There will be things you can’t get done today. Do what you can.
Third, if you have tapered off, get back into the game of life. God always allows us to come back to Him. Satan wants you to believe that you can never get back what you have lost. He wants you to think that it’s too late and you’re too bad to ever do anything worthwhile. This is why we don’t pay attention to the devil. He’s wrong. He’s always wrong. Find you a Christian in their 80s and take them out to lunch. Ask them how do they keep going? Learn from them.
Be thankful that God grants you another day. This is yet one more day to honor the Lord and to help someone else. One more day to do good for the kingdom.
This very night often becomes many more nights. Remaining strong, faithful and useful, that’s the key.
by Roger Shouse
