“…but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14
At the end of life, many people look back with some sort of regret. There are things they wished they would have done and not have done. They wish they had invested their lives in things that were more meaningful. Everyone wants his or her life to have impact.
The good news is that you don’t have to look back at your life with regret. Since you know that one day you will look back on your days, why not plan to live with intentionality now? Why not plan for a future sense of satisfaction?
Here is a quick exercise to help you put your present life in proper perspective:
Imagine that you are elderly and at the end of your days. You are sitting on a porch swing and you are quietly reminiscing about your life. What things, if left undone, would cause you to look back with deep regret? What things do you need to accomplish so you are not disappointed by how you spent your years?
Ask yourself these questions and contemplate how you will feel when you look back from your “porch swing”:
- Will you smile as you remember how you pursued life with an adventurous spirit?
- Will you know you found the spouse with whom you lived the joyous journey of building a family?
- Will you know you poured yourself into your children and that you cultivated precious memories with them, and seized every moment you could with them to demonstrate your love?
- Will you be confident that you made the most of your career? Will you know you leveraged it as a platform for your God-given purpose?
- Will you be satisfied with your generosity toward others? Will you know you did all you could to share your excess blessings with those in need—or will you live with the regret of spending all of your resources on yourself?
- Will you be satisfied with the way you prioritized your life by placing God first, relationships second, and career third?
- Will you have had an intentional strategy to cultivate meaningful and healthy relationships?
- Will your accomplishments live long after you breathe your last breath?
- When you stand before Christ will you be confident that He will say, “Well done my wise and faithful servant?"
- Most importantly, will you know you lived faithfully in close relationship with the God who made you?
Ask yourself, "Do I have a plan to make my life count? Am I living with intentionality or are am I drifting along, accepting whatever life brings my way?"
Are you confident that when you arrive at the end of life you will have accomplished what God designed for you to do? Or will you look back with deep regret?
The choice is yours.
