40 years to make a difference
Read Joey Haynes’ column, and check out the church calendar.
You have 40. I have 40. Most of us have 40.
Most of us have around 40 years to intentionally make a difference in our lifetime.
Think about it for a moment. Most of us graduate from college a little before 25, and most of us will retire from our profession a little before 65.
Our most active years will be those from 25 to 65.
Here’s my question — what will you do with your 40?
Will you buy all the toys you want, or take all the trips you want? Will your 40 be pretty much about you? Will you assume a comfortable middle class or upper middle-class lifestyle? Participate in what is normal?
Or will your 40 years be different because you focused on others?
Think of what could be done over 40 years.
Think of what you could do over the span of 40 years if you invested your money and resources into your community — into giving others a chance by investing in them.
Think about living in a city where the homeless have a place to sleep because followers of Jesus unite together, pool their resources and purchase a building that is then converted into a resource center for the poor and homeless. A place where people could take a warm shower or wash their clothes. A place where the homeless could sleep on nights when it is extremely cold or hot outside.
Think about living in a city where all orphans are adopted by families who follow Jesus. Imagine families who welcome the fatherless and motherless into their home environment and give love and acceptance. Imagine giving someone a home where they belong — where they are given a bedroom of their own and a place at the table.
Think of what Rome would look like if we gave some true thought to what we are doing with our 40. Think of what we could accomplish if hundreds of us decided to live our 40 differently. Just picture what we could do if we decided to love the unloved, to pour our resources into our community. Visualize what we could do by following the actions of Jesus. He reached out while He was on earth. What could you do if you spent your 40 getting to know and learning about people who are different from you?
Imagine what Rome would look like in 40 years if we all decided to live intentional lives. Lives that make a difference because we don’t live for ourselves — but we love, live for and invest in others. Will this world be better because of your 40? Will the world be better because of what you did with your individual life during your 40? Will you look back with satisfaction because of how you allocated your resources during your 40?
It’s your 40! And you determine what you do with it!