MAKE "IT" COUNT!

Most of us don't like to see money wasted, do we? In fact, many of us could say that we don't have enough money to waste. When someone wins millions in the lottery and then blows it all in a few months, we talk about how totally irresponsible and foolish they are.

I read about Jean-Philippe Bryk, a 43 year old Frenchman with a wife and two children. In 1995 he entered the local casino in his town for the first time, just looking for fun and something to do. He played one of the slot machines and won $2,000! That is all it took for him to catch the "plague". He kept going back in the days that followed, and over many months, he won and lost money. Of course his losses outnumbered his wins, and within two years those losses amounted to about one million dollars. He was not only broke but he was even in debt to the casino. He then decided to sue the casino for failing to prevent him from losing his money. The irony of that is incredible! Of course, he lost his case. He later admitted publicly, "I neglected my family, I lied to my friends and used them repeatedly to obtain money, I lied to the banks to obtain loans and I even blew my mother's inheritance. I did anything and everything to get my fix" (to gamble).

It is a shame and tradegy when things like that happen, and I am afraid it happens too often! What a waste of money that man experienced! The truth for Mr. Bryk, however, is that his com-

pulsion didn't just waste his money, it had thrown his entire life out of balance, resulting in heartache and devastation. Not only did he suffer the consequences, but so did his family and other people also. And in his compulsion to gamble and in wasting his money, he also wasted a huge part of his very life!

You see, each of us has something much, much more valuable than a million dollars! "What's that?" you ask! We have TIME! Ask most people dying of cancer whether they'd rather have a million dollars or time. I know the majority of them would answer, "more time."

You and I may have much or little time left in this life; we all have some1 But even if we have a month, we have more than some do. Every day, someone's life is over and they have no more time. How then can we keep from gambling our life (time) away?

Recently I heard a Nike commercial that said, "Life is short! Just do it!" My question is, "What is "IT"? If "IT" is just bouncing around in new shoes, that sure doesn't seem like much to me! I would rather make this a mantra: "Life is short! Let's make God's best of it!" Let's look at Psalm, Chapter 90. It could have a caption something like Nike's, but it would be "Life is short, do it RIGHT! Do life right and do it right the first time! Wait! We only have the first time; we don't get a second chance! If we get it wrong, it's wrong forever.

Psalm 90 is the only Psalm in Scripture that is attributed to Moses. In fact, the header of that Psalm is, "A Prayer of Moses, the man of God". It is regarded as the oldest of the 150 Psalms and likely written during the Israelites' 40 year wandering in the wilderness/desert, after deliverance from 400 years of Egyptian slavery. Moses lived long, 120 years, and had some really hard exper-iences. In fact, Psalm 90 is a lament. A "lament" is a passionate expression of regret, sorrow or grief and takes the form of a poem, song or a musical composition. It appears that things have not been going well and Moses is lamenting that, but notice he also includes earnest prayer. Moses turned it all around to MAKE HIS LIFE COUNT! How did he do that? What does Psalm 90 teach us?

First, BACK UP FOR A GOD-PERSPECTIVE! Moses began his Psalm with the declaration, "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth (created) to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, YOU ARE GOD" (Psalm 90:1-2). A purposeful focus on God, WHO He is and WHAT He has done changes our whole perspective! Some of us may be in need of a new focus! Admit it and get it done with God's help!

If we truly want to discern what to do with our time (lives), we must look to the ONE (God) who is not time-bound! Time is of little or NO consequence to God; He is OUTSIDE of time and without the constraints of time. I think one reason why people like the mountains is they seem old and steady - not easily moved. Yet, here we are reminded that God pre-dates those mountains!

If you are a devoted follower of Jesus, you rest in the grace and love, goodness, presence, and power of God, not in the temporal things of this world! While we tend to enjoy life (time) here on earth, C.S. Lewis gave us a wise reminder. He said, "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."

God is our true and steady source of life on earth. So when we ask "What is "IT" I should be doing?", the first step is to back up and look through the eyes of the ONE who started it all! As soon as we do that, little earthly stuff matters less! Things that touch the clock of eternity matter most! Does it matter that much if I make this or that business decision, that investment, that job change, purchase that house, live in that town or community? Do I need to be so anxious about the impressions I make on other people? Does it really matter if I buy Ford or Chrysler, Coke or Pepsi, Gap, or American Eagle? Is that movie so important to watch or are there other things that matter so much more? Is that sporting event or activity really that vital that it takes so much of my valuable time? The list of possible time consuming, temporal, and material interests is endless, and truly meaningless in light of eternity. My mother gave me a plaque years ago that reads, "Only one life will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last!" We must ask ourselves, Are we laying up treasures for ourselves on earth that will not last, OR are we laying up treasures in heaven that are the ONLY things that will last forever?

That leads us to the second important principle regarding making our life count and doing "IT" right the first time!

Second, REMEMBER, LIFE IS SHORT! Do you remember everything that happened to you in 2025, last week or even yesterday? What you ate? Who you talked to and the subject? Every word you said? What clothing you wore? What your doctor told you in your visit? Not likely everything! Moses said, "You turn man back into dust And say 'Return, O children of men.' For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:3-4).

We humans are so limited. Our lives (time) on earth have a morning, a noon and an evening. We are prone to not think about the brevity of life until about the time we reach the NOON OF LIFE! Then some have what is termed a "mid-life crisis."

I read about a site on the internet called deathclock. com where you can enter your date of birth, whether or not you use tobacco, drink alcohol, or use drugs, your general health condition and a few other details. It will then give a calculation of your life expectancy. Then comes a click on the screen to get the calculation. Some people would get a good estimate of life expectancy while others would receive just a short one. By the way, I do not recommend you get your information from this site and I surely have never been on it and do not intend to do so. The Scripture says clearly, "And in Your book were written my days that were ordained (numbered) for me, when as yet there was not one of them" (Psalm 139:16-17). The truth is that unless Jesus returns beforehand, we will each end up with a gravestone inscribed with our name and the "time" of our days on earth.

That fact alone should get us all thinking, "What on earth am I here for? How will I make the best of the time I have left?" For some this probably seems like a frivolous question. Talk about death to a child and he or she says, "Die, what's that?" To a teenager, and he or she says, "I plan on living forever." The twenty something says, "Well, that's a long way off." The forty crowd says, "Yikes, it's true, I am already at Half-Time! Twenty years later and the reply is, "Goodness, I wish I had lived a better life." And at seventy, "I better get my last wishes in order." But for those who believe in and love Jesus, there is INNER PEACE. They can exclaim with faith, "That's OK, I will keep living and spending my time with purpose!, When we are old and our body is failing, we can actually say, "With faith in Jesus, death is my friend." A man once said, "The hope of dying is the only thing that keeps me alive."

No matter our age (our time), we can certainly make that life/time count for God, for good, for righteousness, for holiness, for service, for purpose, and for ALL that God has provided for us! Moses said, "O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad ALL OUR DAYS" (Psalm 90:14).