“Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.”
Job 32:7
Elihu spoke these words to Job many years ago. He was one of Job’s friends, but not one of the three who came at the beginning of the book. Elihu arrived later, and although he was younger than the others, he actually rebukes both Job and his other friends. Later, the Lord condemns Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, but not Elihu. I think there is great truth to consider in his words. Actually, this verse is similar to another:
“With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.” Job 12:12
As we begin this New Year, there is someone we might wish to give a little more consideration. I am referring to our future selves. That’s the person we will be tomorrow, or next week, or even a thousand years from now. Actually, we have a pretty big responsibility to that person. I suppose we might divide the timeline into your future self on earthand then your future self in eternity.
First, let’s consider your future earthly self. That’s a person you had better treat right. Actually, it’s pretty important to live your life today with your future self in mind. Your future selfis the person you imagine when you wonder whether you should clean the garage today or leave it to your future self. After all, your future selfwill be overjoyed with the prospects of cleaning the garage. The person you are today really does not want to do yard work, but you are quite sure your future selfwill have no problem completing the task. Your future selfis the person who will be much more enthusiastic about losing a few pounds. Your future selfwill prefer salads to doughnuts and he will always have the time to do things that you just can’t get around to today. Your future selfwill probably read the Bible more, spend more time in prayer, and maybe be more faithful to church.
Fact is your future self…the person you are going to be real soon, is almost perfect. Your future self will always have more time, more energy, and more willpower than your present self, or will he? We tend to think about our future selves like different people. We often idealize them, expecting our future selves to do what our present selves cannot seem to manage. Sometimes we mistreat them. We burden them with the consequences of our foolish decisions. Sometimes we simply misunderstand them, failing to realize that they will have many, if not most, of the same thoughts and feelings as our present selves. However we think of our future selves, rarely do we see them as fully us. It might be interesting to write your future selfa letter…date it for 5 or 10 years in the future and open it at the appropriate time. “Dear Future Self, I hope by now you’ve gotten victory over…” Of course, maybe it’s easier to just consider what we would have written 5 or 10 years ago to the person we are now.
Of course, when we are young it is even harder to relate to our future selves. That’s why most young people wait so long to start saving money for retirement. When you are younger it is hard to relate to that eighty year old geezer that you are going to be. To the young, saving is like a choice between spending money today or saving it to give to some strange old codger later in life. But the truth is, if you want to be happy, you better make some provision to make your future self happy. Our future selves are built today, at this very moment. Thinking in that way will help us put our choices, actions, and habits in the right perspective.
Feeling too lazy to wash the dishes? Think about your future self. She would probably be happy to walk into the clean kitchen the next morning. The seed you are planting today will germinate into your future self. Don’t want to deal with some email correspondence? Then your future self will have to. Don’t want to wash clothes? Then your future self will be sporting dirty underwear. Who’s got time to floss their teeth? Actually, your future self would probably prefer not to be toothless at 40. The mess you make today, your future self will have to clean up, probably with interest. Everything you do now is an investment in the life and happiness, or the death and sadness, of your future self.
So, what do you want for your future self? Maybe it’s time to recognize the little ways we subconsciously build our future self every day. In the past week, think of the tasks you’ve tackled to set yourself up for success in the future. Then consider what you did that will be a detriment to your future self. Recognize how you’re already creating your future self, and then build the highest possible versionof yourself that you can. This could be similar to an updated version of software. Learn this: one of the easiest ways of radically changing your life is to get in touch with your future self. Countless studies have shown that the more you connect to your future self, the better decisions you will make today.
Second, let’s consider your future eternal self. Just as sure as we should be willing to live for our future self, we should even more live for our future eternal self. In our modern society, most that cross over into eternity are completely unprepared for what happens to them. Many will open their eyes in hell and be totally bewildered and surprised. The eternal self must be prepared since everyone is heading to hell unless they make plans not to go. Just like the rich man in the days of Lazarus, many have left unfinished business behind on the Earth because of our attitude of denial about death. Many are uncomfortable with talking about death, and they simply don’t want to deal with it.
People need to prepare for death well before the time they experience it. Death is only a doorway into the next phase of our existence. It should be talked about openly and frankly. For the prepared, death can be a time of wonderful reunions and leaving behind pain and suffering. But for the unprepared, it will be a time of suffering and agony. Either way, it will be a new beginning, with new experiences, either good or bad.
The Bible gives us some facts about death that should encourage all of us to make sure we are prepared.
“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
In this text I learn some important reasons why it is foolish not to prepare my eternal self for eternity.
“It is appointed…” In the phrase “It is appointedfor men once to die…” we find our first fact. Death is unavoidable. Of course, this might be stating the obvious, yet most people live as if death is unlikely! Unless our Lord returns in our lifetime, all of us, sooner or later, must keep a personal, unavoidable, appointment with death.
“Unto men…” Next, we find that barring the return of Christ for His church, none are excluded. When the Scripture says “it is appointed untomenonce to die…”, it does so generically, with no sense of gender. In other words “men”here stands for all of us whether male or female. You could replace the word “men”with your own name, because the Scripture applies to you individually as well as to mankind in general. Nevertheless, as we said before, most people live their lives as if they were exceptions to the rule of death.
“…once to die…” In the words “it is appointed unto men once to die…” we have our third fact, that you only die once. You don’t get a second chance at life and death. Since we live and die but once, we should make the most of our life. Surely, we should not waste our one life. These verses speak of physical life and physical death. The Scripture does speak of new life in Christ, just as it speaks of a second death for the lost, but these are spiritual in nature.
“…but after this…” In the words “…but after thisthe judgment” we have our fourth fact; that death is not the end. There is something after death. Again, we can see the importance of your eternal self being ready.
“…the Judgment” The Word of God now tells us precisely what there is after death, it is “the judgment.” A Day of Judgment is coming, for the saints at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and for the lost at the Great White Throne. But those “in Christ”need not fear because there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who refuse and neglect the welfare of their future eternal self are counted as ungodly and unprepared, and they have good reason to fear. For those who do not receive Jesus Christ as Savior, death means everlasting punishment.
So as we enter this New Year, might I entreat you to seek and embrace God’s forgiveness. Your future self and your eternal self will be glad you did. Avoid burdening your future with years of guilt, bitterness, regret, and heavy consequences because you were not willing to prepare for your future.
As a Christian I am in the process of becoming more like Jesus. Every day, is another exciting day on an amazing journey toward my true identity as a child of God. I was once in darkness, but now I can walk as a child of light. I can walk in wisdom. I can have the mind of Christ. Therefore, just as I have made positive plans for my eternal self in glory, I also have the wisdom and power to make positive plans for my future self here on earth. May each of us do so, our future selves, both on earth and in eternity will thank us for our decision.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.