Living Life With An Eternal Viewpoint
Some Thoughts on Purpose and the Brevity of Life
According to the most recent estimations, the average life expectancy in the United States is around 76 years. Women generally tend to live longer than men, so their average life expectancy is about 79 years. The estimate for men sits at around 73 years. Interestingly, this means the life expectancy in the United States has actually declined in recent years. It peaked at around 78.9 years in 2014, but it dropped to where it currently sits during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Several factors have caused these figures to fluctuate such as drug overdoses, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and rising chronic diseases. Thankfully, movements are underway to correct some of these troubling trends, but the United States still lags behind many other nations (e.g., Japan and Switzerland) when it comes to the life expectancy of its citizens.
These figures remind me of something Moses wrote generations before our time. Psalm 90 was written by Moses, and that means it’s the oldest Psalm within the Old Testament book of Psalms. The man of God said, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Pslam 90:10 ESV). Interestingly, as Moses reflected on their journeying as God’s people, he contemplated the brevity of life. He suggested that a typical lifespan is somewhere between 70 to 80 years, which is surprisingly close to modern averages in America and throughout the world.
When you think about it, our time on earth is extremely limited. 70 or 80 years might seem like a long time, but time marches on at rapid speed. At best, we may get a mere handful of decades here on this earth where we are strong and healthy. Even if we make it into our 80s or 90s, James was correct when he said, “You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes“ (James 4:14 ESV). Our time on earth is so fleeting and temporary, and this reality should make us seriously ponder how we are using our lives. Amazingly, after writing about the fleeting nature of life in Psalm 90:10, Moses prayed for God to “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom“ (Psalm 90:12 ESV). Life is short, and it’s quickly passing by each and every day that we live. This thought shouldn’t cause us to feel depressed or hopeless; it should move us to make our moments count by using our life for a purpose bigger than ourselves! Like Moses, we often need wisdom to see what matters the most.
Consider a Super Bowl Champion
Tom Brady is a former NFL quarterback who spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, playing as a major role in their status as a powerhouse team. At just twenty-seven years old, Tom Brady had won the Super Bowl three times! He had accomplishments under his belt like nobody before him. However, even the Super Bowl wasn’t enough. Brady knew there had to be something more!
In a now famous interview with 60 Minutes, Tom Brady said, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey, man, this is what it is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it’s gotta be more than this.’“
Brady’s comments sparked a lot of attention and some interesting discussion during the interview. At the peak of success, Tom Brady still felt empty inside. He knew there was more to life than fame, money, and Super Bowl rings.
As the interview continued, he was eventually asked, "What's the answer?" Sadly, Brady replied, "I wish I knew. I wish I knew."
Consider a King of Israel
Generations before Tom Brady, there was a mighty king who was searching for meaning and purpose in life too. His name was Solomon, the man who was the king of Israel. He was blessed with wisdom and wealth like none other, but he was searching for something more. He wrote the book of Ecclesiastes that chronicles his pursuit for meaning. Solomon was hoping to discover “what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life“ (Ecclesiastes 2:3 ESV). He wanted to know the secret: what must a person do to find purpose in life?
If you look closely at the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon gave himself completely to this search for meaning, purpose, and happiness. He tried pleasure (2:1-3), acquiring properties (2:4-6), taking part in fun pastimes (2:7), accumulating possessions (2:7-8), enjoying entertaining performances (2:8), and even satisfying his fleshy passions (2:8). But take a look at what he said about all these things! Solomon said, “all was vanity and striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11 ESV).
Like Tom Brady, Solomon was living the dream. He had everything a person could ever dream of having. However, he knew there was something more. Unlike Tom Brady, though, King Solomon knew the answer. He finally wrote, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil“ (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV).
Solomon found the secret to making your life count. A fulfilled, meaningful, and happy life is found only when you live your life for God. It’s all about living with a reverential awe for who God is, striving each day to honor God’s divine revelation, and be ready for the day of reckoning that’s coming for all men. This is how we make our life count!
Conclusion
You don’t need a graph to tell you that you won’t live forever. This is something we each instinctively know. Unfortunately, it’s something we tend to forget as we live. Life is short, and it’s quickly passing by. We may get 70 or 80 years to live at best. However, nobody knows exactly how long they are going to live, and that’s not really something we should stress about. As Jesus asked, “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?“ (Matthew 6:27 ESV). Yes, life is fleeting. But don’t stress about it. Instead, choose to make your life count by living for the one who makes life meaningful! Make each day count for God by giving yourself to him.
Don’t waste your life by focusing on lesser matters (e.g., career goals, money, fame, status, possessions, pleasure, etc.). Focus on loving God wholeheartedly, serving others, sharing the message of the Gospel, and living with an eternal perspective. Seek to practice holiness and live with integrity. Persevere in faith, and end your journey well wherever your finish line may be.
Ultimately, making our lives count means living each day for God’s glory, loving him and others with all of our being, and fulfilling the purposes he has given to us. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.“ (Colossians 3:1-2 ESV). Every moment matters when we live it for eternity!