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| 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?
