[notice]A monthly column by farmer, preacher and writer for Jesus, Angus Buchan[/notice]
Do what you have to do today and do not leave it until tomorrow, because tomorrow will have enough worries of its own. The Lord is very specific about the fact that if you know that someone else has ought against you, you need to go to them and you need to seek forgiveness.
We need to use the time that we have left on this earth effectively and efficiently. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul (family) — Mark 8:36 (NKJV). While we are still alive we need to continue to work on our relationships with one another.
Remember the old proverbial saying “Charity begins at home.” There is no point in trying to tell people in China, in the Amazon jungle in South America, Sudan, etc about the love of God when we cannot get it right at home base and when the wheels are coming off at the ranch.
We need to make the most of the time we have left here on earth and not to grow old with many regrets and wishing we could have told people while they were still alive. We need to build bridges. We are not to become distracted or sidetracked. We need to remain focused. We mustn’t listen to the lies of the devil. We must think good thoughts about our loved ones.
There is a beautiful song called, The Living Years. It starts off by saying “Every generation blames the one before”, And that is so true. Remember any man being in Christ is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. So there is no room to look back, but we do need to speak up.
The song goes on “I just wish I could have told him in the living years.” We need to say it loud and we need to say it clear, “Dad I love you” or “Mom I love you” or “Please forgive me in the part of our misunderstanding.” It is too late when we die. So we need to settle any quarrels that we have between each other. If we don’t, then according to the song we will “Sacrifice the future” because it is the bitterness that lasts. Don’t yield therefore to the temptation of thinking badly of your loved one.
There is nothing worse to say than “I wish I had told my father I loved him, before he died.” But rather tell him when he is alive. It’s like going to a funeral and saying that your friend was a good chap, but yet when he was alive you never told him that.
Let us redeem the time and let us build bridges according to Nehemiah chapter 6. Let us grow older, having no regrets, but loving our fellow man. We could sum the whole Bible up in two points — to love God and to love your neighbour.
That is The Bible in its entirety. Let us stop going down cul de sacs, chasing dreams instead of getting relationships right at home. Some of us are working so hard for the future of our children that we never get to see our children. They don’t want lots of money, they want you.
Let’s get our priorities back into order. Let’s be men and women who are walking according to the game plan laid out by the Lord Jesus Christ. While we are still alive, let us put right anything in our heart that has held us back.
God bless
Angus Buchan
