Paul knew his time was short and made the most of his remaining days on earth.
Luke 12:15-21
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
In today’s passage, we read about a rich man who made poor use of his days. Incorrectly assuming that his life would last for many years, he not only left God out of his plans but also allowed materialism to guide him.
Paul, on the other hand, knew his time was short and made the most of His remaining days on earth. For one thing, his priority was to care for others as long as possible. His letters from prison illustrate this: Despite knowing he would soon face death, Paul devoted his time and energy to instructing fellow believers and praying for them.
The apostle also recognized the value of time spent encouraging Christians to do everything as if for the Lord (Col. 3:23). This is important even when one’s task seems unrelated to the church. Our Father’s work isn’t just for missionaries and pastors; He calls all His children to different fields and assignments.
Paul also knew that the Christian life encompasses struggles. And he was realistic about acknowledging his own imperfections (Rom. 7:5-25). This meant that to make the best use of his time, he needed to persevere, remember God’s promises, and rely on divine power for victory. Indeed, at the end of his life, Paul was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).
Life is a gift. Every one of us has a limited number of days on this earth. How will you utilize your time so you can look back and, like Paul, confidently say that you ended well?
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