Christmas is over. I’m mourning its passing. All too quickly the festivities have ended. Family will soon go home. Decorations will be put away. Caught up in sending cards and buying gifts, I missed the best time of year. My time reflecting on the birth of our Savior was cut short. How did my priorities get so maligned?

Life is fleeting
Like Christmas, life can get away from us. We get caught up in daily tasks, appointments, our routine. Next thing you know it’s the end of another day, week, year and decade. Seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Y2K and now 2010 is upon us.

Psalm 39 tells us, “You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Job 14:2 says, “We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.”

Daily choices
Each day we have a choice to make: will we go through the motions again today, or will we live with urgency and intentionality, leaving our mark on the world by positively impacting others? Are we going to strive for material gain and earthly status, or will we strive to love family, friends, enemies and strangers more fully? What will you choose today? How will you live out that choice?

Purpose and urgency
Paul ran with purpose in every step, straight toward his goal (1 Corinthians 9:26). He did not live to please himself or care what others thought of him. What an example! The writer of Hebrews encourages us to strip off every weight that slows us down and run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1). Jesus said in John 9:4, “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.”

What race has God set before you? What weights are slowing you down from reaching the finish line? Where might you be drawn off the course?