The Good Life 4

Another talk at Global Leadership Summit was by Louie Giglio. His talk was incredibly vulnerable and moving and reminded me of moments in my life when I had longed for heaven and the safe arms of Jesus. He spoke about cultivating the knowledge that life is short.

This reminded me of something that I had read by Eugene Peterson in his book, The Wisdom of Each Other. He writes:

How distorted our imaginations become if we forget, even for a day or so, that we are going to die. Amnesia regarding death soon develops into illusions regarding life....The old theologians often kept a skull on their writing table to remind them of their mortality. Some monks in the Middle Ages used to sleep in their coffins at night to prevent them presuming on another day of life.

Whilst perhaps the habits of those theologians and monks may seem macabre, I think perhaps life itself would be all the sweeter with the constant remembrance that life on earth is not forever but life with God is forever. Considering the brevity of this life, for me, has meant an increased focus on my desire to leave a legacy full of stories of my journey with God.

When you think about your days as being numbered, do you find that your focus is sharpened? What things could you do practically to allow that focus to come to the fore in your day-to-day life?