The eternal significance of your short life

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. - Romans 12:3 

Lady Nancy Astor was the first woman ever to be seated in the British House of Commons. She predictably encountered a good amount of male antagonism, but she was also capable of giving it back in turn.

One night at a formal dinner, Lady Astor told her neighbour how she considered men to be more conceited than women. To prove her point, she raised her voice a bit and said, “It’s a pity that the most intelligent and learned men attach the least importance to the way they dress. Why, right at this table the most cultivated man is wearing the most clumsily knotted tie!”

Astor and her neighbour watched as within seconds, every man at the table secretly reached up to adjust his tie.

Very often, it can be easy to think more highly of ourselves than we really ought. That’s because in our flesh, it’s our natural inclination to believe the world revolves around us. But the truth is, as the Bible tells us, our very lives are a mere vapour – a split-second blip on the screen of history.

A right perspective of ourselves begins with the humbling notion that our place in the universe is a small one. But let us never believe the lie that our short and small lives are insignificant. Be humbled by your place in the universe, but emboldened that God gives you a significant purpose in it!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to give you a biblical perspective on your life as a short blip in cosmic history, but one that can make an eternal difference.

Questions for Thought

When you think about people who have high opinions of themselves, what are some words you would use to describe their outlook on life?

As you consider the brevity of life, how do you see using your short time on earth to make a maximum impact for God’s Kingdom?