Embracing Life's Fleeting Nature: Commit to Meaningful Change

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Life's Transience

Life is fleeting, and recognizing its brevity can help us focus on what truly matters. We often find ourselves caught up in trivial pursuits, forgetting the preciousness of each moment. By acknowledging our mortality, we can prioritize our time and energy on meaningful commitments and relationships. This perspective encourages us to live intentionally, making the most of the time we have. [01:39]

"For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow." (Job 8:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one trivial pursuit you can let go of today to focus on something more meaningful?

Day 2: The Clarity of the Deathbed Test

Imagining ourselves at the end of our lives can provide profound clarity on what we value most. This exercise, known as the "deathbed test," encourages us to reflect on how we spend our time and what we wish we had done differently. It is not meant to be morbid but to offer wisdom and perspective, guiding us toward meaningful change and helping us align our lives with our deepest values. [03:17]

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

Reflection: If you were to take the deathbed test today, what is one thing you would wish you had spent more time doing, and how can you start incorporating it into your life now?

Day 3: Cultivating Virtues for Growth

The 24 virtues, such as love, kindness, and humility, provide a framework for personal growth and transformation. By identifying which virtues resonate with us, we can focus on developing these qualities in our lives. Embracing these virtues helps us become more aligned with our true selves and fosters deeper connections with others. This journey of growth is ongoing, inviting us to continually reflect and act on the virtues we wish to embody. [05:30]

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Reflection: Which virtue do you feel most called to cultivate in your life right now, and what is one practical step you can take today to develop it?

Day 4: The Power of Commitment

Biblical examples of vows to God illustrate the transformative power of commitment. Stories like Zacchaeus' restitution and Ruth's loyalty inspire us to make our own commitments to personal transformation. These commitments are not just promises but acts of faith that can lead to significant change in our lives. By making intentional vows, we can align our actions with our values and experience the growth that comes from living with purpose. [08:23]

"When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow." (Ecclesiastes 5:4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel called to make a commitment to change, and how can you begin to take action on this commitment today?

Day 5: Strength in Community

We are not alone in our journey of change. As a community, we can support and remind each other of our commitments, helping each other grow and make the most of the time we have. This collective support is vital, as it provides encouragement, accountability, and shared wisdom. Together, we can create an environment where everyone feels empowered to pursue their personal and spiritual growth. [09:00]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to for support in your journey of change, and how can you offer support to someone else today?

Sermon Summary

In our journey of exploring character, we are reminded of the fleeting nature of life and the importance of making meaningful commitments. Jeremy Taylor's reflections on how we often squander our time serve as a poignant reminder that life is short and precious. We are encouraged to consider the "deathbed test," a practice that invites us to reflect on our lives as if we were at the end, asking ourselves what we wish we had spent more time doing. This exercise is not meant to be morbid but to gain wisdom and perspective on how we live our lives.

As we ponder this question, we are invited to consider the 24 virtues or character strengths, such as creativity, bravery, love, and humility. These virtues can guide us in identifying areas where we might want to invest more time and effort. Whether it's being more grateful, generous, or honest, or perhaps focusing on building deeper relationships, the goal is to align our lives more closely with these virtues.

Scripture provides examples of individuals who made vows to God, committing to change in specific areas of their lives. Zacchaeus vowed to repay those he had defrauded, Ruth committed to staying with Naomi, and Jonathan pledged friendship to David. These commitments serve as powerful examples of how we can make meaningful changes in our own lives.

We are reminded that we are not alone in this journey. As a community, we can support each other in making these commitments and changes. Today is the day to reflect and act, as tomorrow is not guaranteed. Let us not waste the time we have but use it wisely, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.

Key Takeaways

1. The Fleeting Nature of Life: Life is short, and we often waste time on trivial pursuits. Reflecting on our mortality can help us prioritize what truly matters and make the most of the time we have. [01:39]
2. The Deathbed Test: Imagining ourselves at the end of our lives can provide clarity on what we value most. This exercise encourages us to focus on what we wish we had spent more time doing, guiding us toward meaningful change. [03:17]
3. Embracing Virtues: The 24 virtues, such as love, kindness, and humility, offer a framework for personal growth. By identifying which virtues resonate with us, we can focus on developing these qualities in our lives. [05:30]
4. Commitment to Change: Biblical examples of vows to God illustrate the power of commitment. Whether it's Zacchaeus' restitution or Ruth's loyalty, these stories inspire us to make our own commitments to personal transformation. [08:23]
5. Community Support: We are not alone in our journey of change. As a community, we can support and remind each other of our commitments, helping each other grow and make the most of the time we have. [09:00]
** [09:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:42] - Introduction to Character
[01:10] - The Danger of Wasting Time
[01:39] - Reflections on Mortality
[02:26] - Ancient Wisdom on Life's Brevity
[02:58] - The Deathbed Test
[03:52] - Reflecting on Life's End
[04:30] - The Rich Fool's Parable
[05:11] - What Will Last?
[05:30] - The 24 Virtues
[07:07] - Personal Reflection
[08:23] - Biblical Commitments
[09:00] - Community Support
[09:29] - The Urgency of Today
[09:46] - Closing and Resources

Sermon Clips

"Jeremy Taylor writes in a wonderful little book on holy living and dying that for foolish people they have this character they throw away all the days of their life Taylor writes about writes this we spend time as if we had too much and knew not what to to do with it we fear everything like weak and silly Mortals and desire strangely and greedily as if we were Immortal We complain our life is short and yet we throw away much of it and are weary of many of its parts." [00:01:12]

"Meanwhile he says the reality is that God sends us all these reminders he lists a group of them on one page um that death is coming that time is finite that it's short gray hairs rotten teeth dim eyes trembling joid short breath stiff limbs wrinkled skin short memory decayed appetite and in our day we say we could do something about that you don't have to go through that but Taylor reminds us what wise people have always known their life is very very short." [00:02:01]

"So what we're going to do today is an intervention called the deathbed test and this is used now in U psychological treatment but it's a very very ancient practice and the purpose of this is not uh to be morbid but to gain wisdom so I want to invite you now to take a deep breath and to imagine that you have reached the end of your life and that you are lying on your deathbed and again in this moment the purpose is not to try to conjure any particular kind of emotion um it's to gain perspective." [00:02:58]

"When you are facing the end of your life and you realize like that character in Jesus's parable of the rich fool um you can imagine a big barn big warehouse and you place all of your possessions in it and they just disappear that car is gone those clothes are gone that house or apartment that's gone that resume is gone my character the impact that I had on the lives of other people that is what will last." [00:04:23]

"While you're reflecting I want to read through once more the 24 virtues the 24 character strengths and as you listen to them see uh do any of these words speak to you would you hear any of them do you find yourself saying I think this is what I want to spend more time on I think this is what God would have me work on creativity curiosity judgment love of learning perspective bravery perseverance honesty zest love kindness social intelligence teamwork fairness leadership forgiveness humility Prudence self-control awe and wonder hope gratitude humor spirituality." [00:05:23]

"Take a moment now and think about how might I be called to finish this sentence I wish I had spent more time giving thanks maybe or giving praise to God or being generous with what I had or cultivating deep friendships we should I spent more time learning we should I spent more time laughing wish I spent more time being honest about this addiction and doing whatever it takes to get free of it wish I had spent more time forgiving wish I had spent more time loving and building into my children wish I spent more time serving voluntary." [00:07:10]

"Often in scripture people will make a vow to God about some area in their life where they know they need to change with zachus it was I will pay back everybody that I've defrauded and become generous with Ruth it's a beautiful thought in Naomi I will go with you where you go I will go where you stay I will stay your people will be my people your God will be my god with Jonathan it's a vow of friendship that he makes to David with David it's a vow of sacrifice that he wants to give to God." [00:08:18]

"Is there an area where God is calling you to make a commitment now and we want to help each other do that because we're The Fellowship of the withered hand we don't do this on our own we'll help each other so you will have gotten I think a link and if you want to fill out that sentence I wish I had spent more time or just identifying an area where you want to make a commitment and if you want to post it so that we can all remind each other none of us are in this alone we're working on this together." [00:08:49]

"Change is coming change is coming you have today I have today the great illusion is I can do it tomorrow I can do it next year none of us knows that we have tomorrow we do have this day to reflect on the fact that our life is finite our life is short but God is with us right now I can use this day oh God don't let it be wasted Make It Count Make It Count I love you." [00:09:16]

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