My Wake-Up Call
I got a shower yesterday morning and as I was putting on makeup I noticed a shiny piece of hair falling over my left eye. I looked a tad closer in the mirror and to my utter horror realized that it was a gray hair! I yelled out, “No! I’m getting old!”
Later that night, I washed my face before going to bed and looked again to confirm that I actually had a gray hair and yes, it was confirmed a real gray hair accompanied by more wrinkles and fine lines than I remember adorning my face a year ago.
I lay down in my bed and stared at the ceiling for several hours still in a state of shock and wonderment at how I could be aging so quickly. The gray hair and wrinkles weren’t just a sign of aging; to me, it was a sign of progression—progression along a timeline that was rapidly moving faster than I had anticipated.
As I lay awake during those dark hours, I pondered all that I had accomplished over the past thirty-three years and smiled a few times. But, then my mind swiftly drifted to the many times I had failed to take risks and start a new business, try a new hobby, grab a cup of coffee with a friend, write a thrilling new book or share the love of Christ with someone. My stomach ached with guilt and anxiety. If I had to stand in front of Jesus today and account for all that I had done with my life, I don’t think countless hours and years I had spent pursuing my own selfish desires or ambitions would be extremely pleasing to the Man who gave His very life for me.
These questions and feeling of guilt didn’t leave me the next day. In fact, my mind couldn’t stop thinking about my words, actions, lifestyle and goals. I was so troubled by this “mid-life crisis” wake-up call that I began desperately asking God what He wanted me to do with my life so that it would somehow make a more substantial impact for eternity. He took me to a short devotional by John Bevere called “Good or God?” Bevere talks about how not everything that is good is always the best plan God has for us. How do we know God’s perfect, good and pleasing will for our lives when there is so much vying for our attention? It is found when we enter God’s holy, heart-changing presence.
James 4:7-10 (MSG) says, “So let God work his will in you. Yell out a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”
Wondering whether or not I was making an impact for God in this world has everything to do whether or not I’m actually living in the will of God and daily seeking His presence. How much time do I spend in prayer, reading the Bible and asking myself the tough question if what I was pursing in life actually pleases God? How often do I pause to look at the people around me and risk my pride to pray with them in private or in public? Do I complete the missions of love that God places in my path everyday?
Living in the will of God does not guarantee a stress-free, comfortable life, but it does guarantee that God will be with us no matter what we face and when we see Him face-to-face someday there will be no regrets or shame. So, I encourage you to join me today in asking ourselves the tough questions—Are we living in the center of God’s will and does my daily activity bring Him glory or just a little glory for myself? Are we using the talents God has given us to bless others and to represent the loving attributes of God?
This my wake-up call. What is yours?
