Time on earth is limited, with moments of hardships, joys, trials, and triumphs. How will you make the most of this “vapor” of time God has gifted you?

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Life is a Vapor, Part 1

Krista Hengesh

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” – James 4:14

What is it that you love to do?

Is it going on a camping trip with your friends, making a delicious meal from scratch, cuddling up on a cold day and reading a book? Or is it taking long drives listening to music or a podcast, laying on the beach, going on a run?

Seriously, ask yourself that question.

Now, what is it that straight up sucks?

Getting a call that your mom is very sick and in the hospital? That the guy you thought you were going to marry no longer feels the same way? That you were the only one not invited to a party? That you cannot seem to get out of a downward spiral mindset that is taking all the joy out of your life?

Again, take a moment to answer this question.

Life is a compilation of those high and low moments, as well as everything in between. When you accept that both seasons in life are temporary, as well as our time here on earth, you will live eternally minded able to see what the Lord is teaching you through it all.

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In Light of Eternity

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Are you one of the hundreds of thousands of people that have memorized this verse? If you were raised in a church, then I would bet you have but have you really thought about what it says?

God gave us His Son so that we could have ETERNAL LIFE. 

When was the last time you talked about eternity? When was the last time you even thought about eternity? Have you ever really pondered what happens after death?

I know this is a big topic, but how we view life after death changes a lot.

For me, I believe that when I die, I will go to heaven- an ETERNAL destination where I get to live face to face in perfect harmony with the God of the Universe, the God who created me and YOU, and the God who loves us oh so deeply.

And for me, when I think about eternity and life after death, it freaks me out a little bit, but in a good way.

(SIDE NOTE. There is so much out there to research on Heaven, what happens after death, and what the end times will look like (eschatology) and I encourage you to research it! For the purpose of this post, I want you to think about the concept of eternity and the fact that our time on earth is limited regardless of what you think happens after death).

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Putting it into Perspective

Real quick…

1. Think of how old you are.
2. Think of what year it is.
3. Now compare the two. (Ex. 20 years versus 2000 years!) Not a real significant number right?

Thousands of years before you were born, life has been going on and for potentially thousands of years after you die- life will continue to go on (that is if Jesus doesn’t come back before then).

Kinda hard to think about right?

Hopefully, that little activity helped you put this idea into perspective.

My intention is not to scare you, or make you fear death, or feel like your life on this earth is insignificant, it is actually quite the opposite.

I want you to understand how limited our time on earth is in order to help you understand how needed, precious, and important you are.

To be honest, odds are not in your favor for you to change the world in a way that a history textbook or documentary will deem you worthy to be remembered, but trust me when I tell you that your life is important. God created you for a unique purpose, and He is counting on you to live it out.

Your legacy will live on in how you love God and live for others.

Please, don’t ever forget that.

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” – 2 Timothy 1:9

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All Seasons Are Gifts 

In James 4:14 it says we “are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” I encourage you to remember this truth in every season of your life. When you are in the thick of it and want nothing more than to move on from a season of pain, hurt, turmoil, sadness, frustration or anger AND when you find yourself in a season filled with joy, excitement, adventure, love, bliss, and happiness. Each season you find yourself in builds upon the last molding you into the woman of God that you are, and God has a purpose behind them all.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:11

Mother Theresa puts this idea of living in light eternity BEAUTIFULLY in this quote:

“In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth, a life full of the most atrocious tortures on earth, will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.” – Mother Theresa

So, whether you find yourself in a season you cannot wait to get out of, or if you are in a season you want to be in forever, remember that those seasons are temporary; nothing more than a one night stay in a dirty, rusted, sketchy motel or a 5-star luxury resort.

One night- nothing more than a brief moment of time when you view it in light of eternity.

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Fight the devil’s Schemes

How often do you actually view your life in light of eternity? Once a day? A week? A month? Ever?

If you don’t, you are not alone. I believe keeping your mind off of eternity is EXACTLY what the devil wants us to do. He wants to narrow your mindset and shorten your perspective so all that you see is what is right in front of you, believing if something doesn’t go your way life is over.

BUT, remember what we just talked about, the things we go through in this life are temporary because we believe in life after death, we believe in heaven, a place where we get to be with God forever.

If the devil can make you forget that truth, then he will be able to throw you off course and distract you with the things of this temporary world.

We must fight to remember that we serve a BIG God who is fighting for a much bigger purpose than what we can see in front of us. When you remind yourself Whose you are, and where you are ultimately going, it will be the perspective shift needed for you to fight for your identity and fight to make the most of the precious time you do have on this earth.

You were created with a purpose. You were created with a calling, and you were created to make the absolute most out of this “vapor” of a time on Earth you were given. Don’t ever forget it.