×

What Will This Look Like When You’re 80?

shutterstock_136819730

One of the favorite lines around our house when one of the kids does something wrong is, “What is this going to look like when you are 18?” As parents, our point is that these sins in their toddler stages do grow up and mature. Pigging out and lusting after the cheese dip does mature into a lack of self-control in all of life as you grow. Connect the dots.

Let’s apply this principle to your Bible reading and devotions. If you take your current practices of spiritual discipline, what does this look like when you are 80?

Too many times I hear people talking about wanting to be more disciplined, more faithful, more intentional without being more active. The fact of the matter is, you will be tomorrow who you are today if you don’t make any changes.

So who do you want to be when you’re 40? 50? 60? 70? or 80?

How do you get there? What do you do? What does that look like on Tuesday, Wednesday, etc..?

Me personally, I want to know and love the Bible. I want to be able to retreat into my own personal biblical coccoon and just be wrapped in the text. I want to be able to draw upon all books of the Bible for instruction, rebuke, joy and confidence. I want to be able to quote it for others’ benefit. And not only this, I want to be able to apply the principles of the narratives to help other people know and enjoy God.

How do I get there? I need to read the Bible intentionally. I need to give myself to the daily discipline of reading and meditating on the Scripture.

I also want to look back at my life and marvel at a life of prayer. I say this not for a self-righteous sake but for a deep abiding delight in the sweet communion with God. I want to be able to put the label on my life: “A praying life”. I want my life to overflow out of prayer. How do I get there? I need to prioritize prayer.

I want to know, love and apply theology. I want to be guided into the depths so I can gaze upon the beautiful jewels of divinity. I don’t want this just for the sake of knowing but for the purpose of delight in and worship of God.

How do I get there? I need to carefully pick out my professors. I need to spend time with men and their writings who will faithfully push me deeper and deeper into the marrow of divinity. There needs to be a structured plan and their needs to be discipline.

It is doubtless helpful for all of us to reverse-engineer our lives, to identify the goal and then live in order to get there. We can do this in every aspect (family, fitness, friendships, finances, etc). Most important on this list to me is knowing and enjoying God.

When we evaluate our lives, that is our daily practices, in light of the end, we might not like what it will look like when we are 80. And if we are not yet 80 then there is still time to make some adjustments.

 

[photo via Shutterstock]

LOAD MORE
Loading