How Many Tomorrows Do You Have Left?

And how are you supposed to live today?

TEACHINGS BROADCASTS STORE DONATE How Many Tomorrows Do You Have Left? by Skip Heitzig | Tuesday, May 11, 2021 Share Tweet Forward The older you get, the shorter the days seem to be, don't they? We have no guarantee that tomorrow will keep on coming, but most of the time we just assume that it will. That's why we so often say, "Oh, I'll do that tomorrow." The truth is that one day we will have no more tomorrows left. So how are we to live in the meantime? Whether you have one tomorrow or thousands of tomorrows, the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4 would say there are three things you should do: 1. Pray harder. "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers" (v. 7). In other words, God's consummation toward the end is near, so how do you live like there's no tomorrow? Pray harder. Now, I've found that most, if not all, believers experience a loss of passion over time, like spiritual entropy (see Revelation 2:4). For many of us, prayer isn't huge on our priority list. But as time takes its toll, as time casts its shadow on the path of your life, what will sustain you more than anything else is a solid prayer life. So as your days get fewer, pray harder. 2. Love deeper. "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' Be hospitable to one another without grumbling" (vv. 8-9). As believers, we are to love fervently—deeply and strenuously, like an athlete giving it all they've got. Love identifies us as belonging to Christ (see John 13:35). Notice the two aspects of this love Peter talked about: it's a love that covers and recovers. Covering love is protective love; it doesn't air dirty laundry (see Proverbs 10:12). Then there is recovering love. This is a hospitable love that shows kindness to the stranger. Are you stretching and straining to love in these ways? 3. Serve smarter. "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. In anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (vv. 10-11). These verses tell us that every Christian has a spiritual gift, that your gift may be different than someone else's, but that whatever gift you have, you should use it to serve other people and glorify God. Peter here described God's grace as manifold, meaning many-colored. In other words, God's grace is displayed differently through different people's gifts. That means the church needs whatever gifts you have, that together we may be the expression of Jesus Christ in the world. The problem facing each one of us is that we're running out of tomorrows. All we have is today. So what will your anthem be today? Will it be "Less for Christ"? It can never be that. It must always be "More for Christ." And when your prayer is fervent, your love is preeminent, and your serving is prominent, then God is glorified, the church is edified, and the world is notified that God is real. In His strong love, Skip Heitzig  | Connect with Skip Heitzig Some people claim that women are overlooked in Scripture, but many women are prominently featured and had influential roles throughout biblical history. Prominent Women of the Bible features six messages from Skip Heitzig that showcase champions of faith, such as Deborah, Hannah, Rahab, and more. And men and women alike will be inspired and encouraged by the extraordinary women profiled by New York Times best-selling author Eric Metaxas in his book Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness. Get your copy SKIP HEITZIG Skip Heitzig is the founder and senior pastor at Calvary Church. His teachings are heard across the country and around the world on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Skip and his wife, Lenya, and son and daughter-in-law, Nathan and Janaé, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Skip and Lenya are the proud grandparents of Seth Nathaniel and Kaydence Joy. © Copyright 2021 Connection Communications | 800.922.1888  Statement of Faith | Contact Us   Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list. Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog  *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally