What is your life?

   What is your life was the subject of the message preached by Elder Herman Clark to comfort the family at a funeral I rcently attended of a dear Sister in Christ. He used the scripture in James 4:14 which says,”Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”  This Sister was 96 years of age but that longevity just seemed like the vapour that James describes. James says it IS a vapour. It appears and then soon vanishes away as we write our love letters each day of our lives. We write letters sometimes, but they aren’t read until received by the party involved. We are writing our letter each day to be read by every individual we meet. Will this letter be one that is desirous to read or will it be one that would need to be discarded? I trust that all our letters would be worth reading as we try to serve the Lord.   

   What is your life is something we need to ask ourselves from time to time? Have we done all we could to serve the Lord. I’m sure we would all have to confess that we haven’t. Nevertheless, we are to do the best we can and make the most of each day we live in a positive manner because our vapourous life will soon be gone. Our lives are NOW and not tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. Paul emphasizes the now of our lives as he writes to the church at Corinth, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”  (II Cor. 6:2).

   Time is something you cannot put in a bank and recapture later. Once time has elapsed, it is gone forever. How many times have we thought about going to see someone who might be sick or afflicted and never did follow through with this good intention? After awhile, it was too late as that individual was no longer with us, having passed to a better life. We missed a blessing for ourselves and most likely a blessing for the other individual, Our lives should be exemplary until the end as we walk uprightly in the sight of God. Paul said, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:15-16).–Elder Larry Wise