When I was a child in Michigan, I liked to exhale and watch as my warm breath hit the bitter cold air. My breath would crystallize for a brief moment, and then slowly disappear. Concerning the life of man, the Bible says that “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalm 144:4).

From God’s perspective, our life is like that brief period between the time the air is exhaled from the lungs, hitting the cold air, and the time it disappears altogether. When life is put into that perspective, it becomes an understatement to say that life is short.

Since that is the case, why do so many people spend so little time focusing on the things of eternity? Why do people spend more time watching T.V. than the time they spend in prayer? Why do people neglect God’s Word (the words of eternal life), but can devour a novel? Why do people neglect worship, but will not miss an opportunity go to the beach?

There are people who will look over their lives and wish they would have focused more on the things of eternity. Unfortunately they will do so just before they are about to enter eternity.

But, God has given us everything we need so that when that day comes we will be prepared. The Christian life is about being prepared. It involves more than being saved. That is just the beginning. It involves spiritual growth for the purpose of knowing God; it involves learning to love God; learning to live in the Holiness of God (without which no one will see the Lord, Heb 12:14); learning to worship God in Spirit and truth; learning to love others, and serve others as Jesus served us. It involves a great many things—things that we need time to learn.

The more time one spends in preparation, the more one anticipates, and looks forward to that great day when God pulls back the curtain and reveals Himself fully. But not everyone will be ready for that day. They will prepare for a good golf game, a weekend at the beach, a good hunting expedition, or whatever else one can do to spend time in worldly pursuits, but they will not prepare to meet God. But that day will be here before we know it.

I can still remember the cold air. My breath lingered only for a moment, and then it was gone. Think about it, and then find a place to worship this Sunday …you’ll be glad you did.