My mother is a great shopper. When she shops for groceries, she reads
all the nutrition labels and considers the best deal by looking at the price
per unit. But her best trick is looking for the “use by” date. She doesn’t just
grab the first gallon of milk she sees, but rather she goes for the gallon with
the latest “use by” date so she can bring home the freshest milk from the
store.
In a sense, our lives are marked by “use by” dates—except that none of
us knows the exact date when our heart will expire or we’ll take our last
breath on this planet. Given that reality, shouldn’t we try a little harder to
capture the moments we’ve been given? Capturing the moment means that we’ll do
things like love more deeply, forgive more quickly, listen more carefully, and
speak more affirmingly.
Paul gives this good advice: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not
as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph.
5:15-16). He also instructs us to “walk as children of light . . . finding out
what is acceptable to the Lord” (vv.8-10).
Since none of us knows our “use by” date, we should capture the
opportunities to brighten our world with the love of Christ today!
Live each day as if it’s your last. (RBC)
