The Value of Life

What a wonderful thing life is! It is the gift of God. Oh, how we need to pray that God may give us some realization of its great value. One of old prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”* (Psalm 90:12) God has created us for His glory. He redeemed us that we might glorify Him in our bodies and spirits, which are His. Every moment of our life should, therefore, be spent in such a manner as will best glorify Him.

God has given us a short time here upon earth, and upon this short time eternity depends. Young man, young woman, you are now making your eternity by the manner in which you are spending your moments of time. Your life today is fashioning you for life beyond. Your life for today does not end this evening at the setting of the sun. How you have spent its golden moments has left its stamp upon you which determines what your eternal destiny shall be. Our hearts are made to weep as we behold the shameful abuse that many make of time. Moments of far greater worth than gold are being flung away to the winds. How few there are that rightly appreciate and attach a proper estimate to time and improve the days according to their value.

Your life here upon earth is probationary in its nature. You are forming a character as the days are going by. Let me repeat with the strongest possible emphasis, that character determines what your eternity shall be. We feel like we can confer no greater benefit upon you, young people, than to impress upon your hearts the vast importance of time. If we had the ability to give you either a million dollars or to help you to a proper estimate of the value of time we would not hesitate to confer the latter upon you. Millions of gold are not to be compared in value to a moment of time.

Perhaps an illustration or a parable will help us to more fully realize the value of a moment.

A man of great wealth has many industries under his management. He wants many young men and women for certain positions in these industries. He announces that in one year’s time these positions will be open for those qualified for them. The salaries range according to the positions. $200 per month is the salary of those occupying the lowest positions, and $2,000 per month to those who are qualified for the highest positions. How they spend their moments of time determines what their qualifications shall be. Every moment rightly spent qualifies them for higher positions. Every moment misspent has a disqualifying effect. With this opportunity before you, you would feel something of the worth of each moment, and of the importance of spending it rightly.

Heaven gives out the announcement that as you spend your moments of life, so shall your eternity be. If you rightly improve the moments, you will be qualified for higher enjoyments and greater riches in eternity. All moments wasted have a woeful disqualifying effect. You shall give an account for every idle word and every wasted moment. The account you will have to render is that these idle words and wasted moments are disqualifying you for heavenly enjoyments. Every moment rightly improved is making you capable of higher felicity in heaven.

We see a mother coming with her boys, asking Jesus for a higher position for them in His heavenly kingdom. His reply to her is that such positions are “not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”* (Matthew 20:23) And for whom has the Father prepared such positions? They are prepared for all those who prepare for the position. There is a place close up at the right hand of Jesus for all those who will qualify for the place. How you spend life’s moments determines what positions you will occupy in glory. You will fit into the place for which you are fitted.

Young people, you have this matter in your own hands. How you spend the moments of this day goes to determine what your position in that eternal world shall be. Just one life lies before you, young man, young woman. You will pass over life’s pathway but once; yes, but once. And every step you take never can be retaken. You do not have the privilege of trying it over again. If you make a misstep, the best it can do—and it should do this—is to help you to not make another one like it. It is true that Jesus can and will forgive us all our missteps, but the effect they leave upon our character will stand through all eternity. By the way you spend the moments of time today you are adding to or diminishing your treasures in heaven. Your mansion in glory will be this evening according to how you spend the moments of the day.

There is great responsibility in life. It means much to live. Thank God it is blessed when we hide our life with Christ in God, and live in Him.