The Angst of a Wasted Life

One of my greatest fears is to look back on a wasted life. Investing my time, energy, and pursuits into endeavors that bear no eternal significance scares me to death (no pun intended). Imagine standing before Jesus and instead of being overwhelmed by His glory being overwhelmed with regret of not living for Him.
Not that He loves us less or more depending on what we do. But still. To know that we could’ve of been more for Him—could’ve touched more lives, invested in more relationships, shined His truth and light in more situations—you get the idea.
But I guess the fear of a wasted life comes from a deeper fear of not loving Him enough—not seeing Him for who He truly is and living a life of worship in response.
We get so side-tracked and distracted. We fall so quickly into routines and worldly aspirations that we neglect what’s true and enduring. Passions fade and dreams stint. Ruts of mundaneness creep into our lives until our lives are defined by them. Then we wake up and realize years drifted by without purpose or intentionality.
This fear of not loving Him as I should also spurns a fear of complacency. American Christians get way too comfortable. Right now I’m sitting on a gorgeous deck overlooking a sparkling lake that held me up on skis earlier this afternoon. It’s not my house, but still I sense the temptation to make this one of life’s aspirations. After all, it’s an INCREDIBLE way to spend the day!
Comfort is not sin. Nor is having fun. But it certainly paves the way for thinking that’s what life is all about.
We’re not truly alive until we accept Christ. Christ didn’t come to make bad people better, but to make dead people alive (thanks Tullian :) ). But after that we go off course. Accepting Christ becomes a status to accumulate rather than a life to embrace through surrender.
Becoming alive in Christ via the Gospel is a one-time experience positionally (meaning once we accept Him it’s a done deal once and for all). But it’s not a one-time experience practically. We must practically embrace the Gospel in our lives every day. We must breathe it in and live through its power by diving deeper into it.
The Gospel must become our reason for living—the primary focus that consumes our lives. It should fill our lives until our lives align with it (which will never fully happen by the way, but we keep trying).
Only when we’re immersed in the Gospel do we stand a chance to live intentionally for eternity. For our financial comrades, the Gospel is the only sure investment worth making in this life. It’s the only one that won’t let you down. It’s the only one that prevents us from falling prey to worldly distractions and keeps us madly in love with our Savior and Lord.
The Gospel is both the propellant and fire that consumes our fears and grants us an eternal perspective in this temporary world. Living for the Gospel is the only guarantee we have not to live wasted lives. We can’t help but love Him with all our hearts when the Gospel is the center of our attention.
Lord, consume me with Your Gospel until it’s the one pursuit my life invests in. It won’t be wasted if your Gospel reigns.