I was listening to some of our elders talk last Sunday and one of them said something that I had heard many times. This 85+ year old man simply said “We are but a mist, here today gone tomorrow”. Now if you have grown up in church like me, you have heard that expression many times. It comes from James 4:14. David throughout the Psalms says that we are but a breath. Our life is here then it is gone. No one is promised tomorrow. There are no guarantees that you will take another breath. In Matthew 24:44 Jesus reminds us that He is going to return and that he will return when everyone least expects it so be ready. Again, no one is absolutely positive they will see tomorrow.

After hearing that elder I couldn’t help but think what we are doing with our lives in the present moment. Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us to “make the most of every opportunity”. I don’t want to sound too cliche with all this but seriously, if we know that tomorrow is not promised why are so many of us living as if we have all the time in the world? Why are so many of us living life just to get by instead of living it to the fullest? Why are we not displaying the love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness of Christ to a broken world? Why are we living to promote ourselves? As I pondered all this in my own life I was reminded of a verse. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “strip off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us”. The writer encourages us to do this so that we can run the race of life with perseverance. We could live life to the fullest and do it freely. But many of us don’t because we haven’t really done what Hebrews 12:1 tells us to do. Instead we get tangled up with things in life. What are some of the things that can compromise our life to the fullest?

I think many people get tangled up in relationships and friendships. Who we spend large amounts of time with will have a massive impact on who we become, whether we like it or not. I know not all relationships/friendships are bad but that doesn’t mean they are not distracting sometimes. Look, the old adage is true, “birds of a feather flock together”. You will become what you surround yourself with. Proverbs 22:24-25 reminds us to not hang around hot tempered people because if we do we will learn their ways and get ourselves trapped and in trouble. People are not living to the fullest, to the potential that God has created them to live, because they are to busy trying to please their friends, look cool, look important, and so on. We no longer live to please One but everyone and it tangles us up and slows us down.

We also get tangled up in culture. I think this is one of the biggest issues right now for followers of Christ. We are so immersed in our culture today that everything is grey, all lines are blurred, everything is relative, and nothing is absolute. It has found it’s way into the religious circles from post modern to emerging movements. We would rather fit in to our culture than redeem it. We take our cues from our culture and adjust our lives to it rather than set the example. We do everything that Oprah, MTV, CNN, Hollywood, and Wall Street tells us instead of doing what the Word tells us. Our culture can never overrule the Word of God. And look, just because everybody is doing something doesn’t mean it is right. Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 6:12 that “everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial”. We can do anything we want but that doesn’t mean it is good, life-giving, or right. Just because it is popular doesn’t mean it is right. We must untangle ourselves from culture and be Jesus to it again.

We also get tangled up in ourselves. Nothing is more paralyzing than living for yourself. Jesus asked us to give up everything for Him. To die to ourselves. To lay aside everything. Yet we still do things according to our comfort levels, financial status, and image projection. If it makes us uncomfortable we won’t do it. If it is going to cost us we won’t do it. If it is going to make us look foolish we won’t do it. Therefor we never move forward. We don’t make the most of every opportunity because we are to concerned with ourselves. Never forget John 3:30, “He must become greater, I must become less”.

We also get tangled up in poor decisions. Every choice has a consequence whether it be good or bad. If there has ever been a time for wisdom that time is now. There is so much information out there today. So many influences. We must have wisdom to do what is right. Read Proverbs 2. Really, just read all of Proverbs. Wisdom comes from God and He gives it to us when we seek it like we would search for hidden treasure. There is an intensity attached to the language. Do whatever it takes to become wise. Without it we become tangled in our bad decisions.

Finally, we become tangled up in unforgiveness. It is so deadly. It is heavy. We cannot afford to carry the weight around. Since our time here is not guaranteed for a set amount of days, why do we risk carrying around bitterness and anger with us? We have all been hurt by someone else. Yes, there are different levels of hurt but no one here has experienced the level that Jesus has. What did He do on the cross? Forgave those who put Him there. The Bible is clear on forgiveness. We must forgive others. Read the parable of the wicked servant. We must let the petty things go. We must not let any bitterness find it’s way into our hearts. It will tangle you up and choke the life out of you.

We are not promised tomorrow. We are a mist. Here today gone tomorrow. Christ will return but we will not know when that moment will be. We must be ready. We must be living life to the fullest. We must live in love and mercy. We must enjoy our lives.

Are you making the most of every opportunity or are you just getting by?