Gaining a Little Perspective

The great philosopher, Huey Lewis, has given us quite a few nuggets over the years. However, these lyrics from the 1996 album Time Flies... gave me pause recently:

Even though we might be having a few doubts
Let's take the time and try to work things out
The little things we fuss and fight about
Ain't gonna matter 100 years from now

I guess the ultimate objective is to only do, talk, and think about things that have eternal significance, but let's be a little more practical. Forget eternity and forget 100 years for a minute.

Use your own definition for what you think it means to "matter", then stop before you move a muscle, dwell on a feeling, or open your mouth and consider whether that action, thought, or comment will be something that still matters 5 years or even 1 year from now.

How much might your life and your relationships improve if you eliminated a couple of negative behaviors, feelings, or words that might still have legs a year from now?

How much impact could you have if you spent just a little more time, money, or brain cells on something that will still matter a year from now?

God created and gave us time, and the enemy loves to pervert it by convincing us to live in the past, worry about the future, or lose perspective on the present.

I pray we won't.