‘I must leave to others everything I have earned.’ Ecclesiastes 2:18 NLT

If you work harder you can earn more money, but you can’t earn more time. To coin a popular song, ‘Time may be money, but your money won’t buy time.’

There’s an old story about a man who worked the late shift at a factory and walked home just after midnight. One night he took a shortcut through the cemetery. Failing to notice the new grave that had just been dug in the centre of his path, he fell into it. After several unsuccessful attempts to get out, he decided to relax until morning when someone would be around to help him. As he sat in the corner of the grave half asleep, a fellow traveller who had overindulged at a local bar stumbled in beside him. Desperate to get out, the drunk started yelling and clawing frantically at the sides. At that point our hero reached out, touched him gently on the leg, and said, ‘It’s no use, friend, I’ve tried. You’ll never get out of here.’ Not surprisingly—the drunk did! He jumped out!

A periodic visit to the local cemetery might help you re-evaluate and reprioritise your life! For example, it might encourage you to stop and ask yourself what you’re really living for. Solomon had an ‘aha moment’ like that: ‘All my hard work here on earth… I must leave to others everything I have earned.’ (Ecclesiastes 2:18 NLT)

A rut is simply a grave with the ends kicked out. Don’t just make a living; get out of your rut and make a difference. Don’t just leave an inheritance; leave a legacy that will enrich the lives of those who follow you.

SoulFood: Job 32–34, Matt 25:1–13, Ps 55:12–23, Pr 8:19–21

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©