By Ashley Thaba
I RECENTLY heard a testimony which really touched my heart. A man was dying a slow death of cancer and he made a commitment that he wouldn’t give up and let the clock run out. He would serve Jesus and love others until he literally was gone.
On Saturday, my son had a basketball game. His team was winning and there were about two minutes left on the clock until the game finished. The coach said: “run the clock out”. This is what that meant. Guys, stop playing the game. Dribble aimlessly. Hold the ball. Pass back and forth between yourselves. If you don’t want to lose, just waste time letting the clock run out. It is a passive way to get to the “finish line”. Just stop playing the actual game.
How easy it would be dying of cancer to just ask for painkillers and coast to death. It is a morbid reality. As I heard of this man’s testimony, I was further amazed to hear that the man made sure he continued to be intentional about making each moment count.
He wrote letters for his grandchildren who would not remember him by the time they were older. He made video messages for momentous occasions which he would not be around to celebrate. He was leading a men’s Bible study group and he met with the men who would continue leading the group and gave them specific challenges of what to do once he was gone to continue the work.
He made a point to encourage each person in his life the best way he knew how so that even when he was gone, a legacy would be left.
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I introspected on my life. Do I ever coast? Do I ever just “waste time to let the clock run out”? Does every day count? Am I intentional each day about making sure that a legacy is left by my presence in a place? What about you? Do you just get up and go to work or do you use your workplace as an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you have dreams and goals? What are you doing each day to make sure you aren’t just “letting the clock run out?”
Depression is a real problem but study after study show that when our life has a purpose, we are less likely to suffer depression. When each day you have a clear goal of what you want to achieve and that purpose is somehow to help others, it gives your life meaning and joy.
In a world which keeps telling us how we can “self-help”, one of the best methods to help ourselves is to love others and use our time and resources to make others’ lives better.
Ephesians 5:15-17 states: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
Let us learn from that man. Let us not coast through life — eating, working, accumulating money at the expense of our moral conscience or our relationships with our family and friends. Like the verse in Ephesians says: let’s be careful how we live and make the most of every opportunity to share love, to share kindness, resources, encouragement, etc. Every day when we wake up, let’s ask God to give us the wisdom to not act thoughtlessly but ask God, “What do you want me to do today? How can you use me to be a blessing to someone today in my home, in my family, in my neighbourhood?”
When I look around southern Africa and see the corruption, the crime, the violence, and the sadness, my prayer is that each one of us could do our part in using our lives to take every day and live! Truly live! Not coast. Not just get through the day, but to truly make the most of every day to live it to the fullest.
- Ashley Thaba is a life-coach, team-building facilitator and motivational speaker.