‘Only one life – live it’



Photo taken from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24301379

So goes the slogan. Some suggest that it was originally written by someone suffering with a serious life-threatening cancer to remind us all of the preciousness of life. However, like so many words and phrases it seems to have been hijacked by those who want to use it as an excuse for every form of indulgence. The idea being that as this life is all we have got then we need to get the most out of it. Let’s pursue every pleasure. Let’s indulge every whim. Let’s exploit every opportunity to get what we want.

The following story is taken from the BBC News website for 30/09/2013: “Nearly 300 children aged 11 or under were admitted to A&E units across the UK last year after drinking too much, a BBC Radio 5 live investigation shows. Over the last five years A&E departments across the UK have dealt with nearly 48,000 incidents where under-18s have been admitted for drink or drug related illnesses. During 2012/13 there were 293 cases of children aged 11 or under attending A&E with alcohol-related conditions - a third more than in 2011/12 when there were 216 cases”.

In the pursuit of so-called pleasure people are teaching their children a life-style that can ultimately destroy them, both physically and mentally. How incredibly sad! It is particularly sad because it flies in the face of the clear Biblical message that this life is not all that we’ve got. The Bible states, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”. Many people think that there is nothing after death – the grave is the end. The Bible says, “after this”. The reality is that this life is but the place where we need to make preparation for eternity – the life beyond physical death.

Are you prepared to meet God, or are you busy living for the moment? This relatively short life can be spent in short-term pleasure but what then? The Bible tells us of man called Moses. He made a decision, a choice that was to transform his life. Was he to “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”? As occupying a significant place in the palace of Egypt (seen as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter) he had it all, humanly speaking. However, he chose Christ seeing Him as “greater riches than the treasures in Egypt”. Only Christ can forgive our sins. Only the death of Christ can remove the stain of sin and guilt from us and prepare us to meet God. Are you living for the moment or are you living in the light and prospect of eternity?

 

‘There is a point where it is too big - you can't hide them’

This is a quote from Steve Cluff, a local councillor in Burton Joyce, near Nottingham. In an interview, quoted on the BBC News website, he speaks out against the decision taken by Gedling Borough Council. That decision is to allow Severn Trent Water to build a wind turbine at Stoke Bardolph. You would have to admit that something that is over 350ft in height is a bit difficult to hide. Equally, something next to the River Trent in an area of lowland will be visible for some distance. Some might say, ‘a blot on the landscape’.

Opinion on wind turbines does seem divided. Using renewable energy sources, such as wind power, is applauded by those who want us to reduce our carbon emissions. Those who live in an area where there are wind turbines are not quite as enthusiastic. Steve Cluff is right. You can’t really hide a 350ft mast.

Those of us old enough may remember a similar debate about mobile phone masts. There were ingenious plans to build masts that looked like trees, or to hide such masts in woods. A glance across the landscape in some areas would prove that the idea didn’t really work.

The debate made me think about our lives before God. Some of us seem to think that we can hide our failure in amongst the failure of others – like hiding a radio mast in a wood. Our first line of defence when confronted with something we’ve done wrong is, ‘well, what about everyone else?’ The naughty school child is always quick to point to others and say, ‘what about them? Why are you picking on me?’ This is the age-old problem. Are we prepared to admit before God that we have failed – sinned? We have failed to reach God’s standards. We have failed to keep God’s law. That failure brings guilt, as we stand before God as condemned sinners. In reality, we can’t hide! We may try. We may invent all sorts of excuses. The reality remains – guilty sinners deserving of God’s judgement.

The good news of the gospel is that God has provided a way of escape. God isn’t going to hide our sin. He has provided His Son to be our Saviour. Through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on a Roman cross, God has provided a way in which we can find cleansing and forgiveness. If we are prepared to place faith in Christ, His death can be our death, He can become our substitute, bearing our sin and guilt. Without Christ we will have to bear the punishment for our own sin. In Christ, He has borne God’s punishment for us. To quote Steve Cluff, ‘you can’t hide’. What will do with your sin and guilt?