Living Life as an Investment

So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of  wisdom. Psalm 90:12

As I lay in bed this morning mulling over how I am to approach a student who has been cheating on my biology exams, I began to rehearse my responses to her deception. Do I humiliate her in a subtle, calculated way, so that she will remember to cheat in My class no more? Should I use shame to coerce her into honesty? Do I sweetly confront and present loving pats on her back and kindly platitudes to her ears so that she feels good about herself, but does not count the cost of her Sin? What is my response to be? And then I awake to Psalm 90. A psalm that reminds me to plead out, "O God, stamp eternity on my eyeballs!" (Jonathan Edwards) A psalm that declares that what is temporal is going to pass away, and that what matters most in life is eternity. Eternity. As I think about eternity, I realize now that my response to this student must be an investment into her heart that will lead her back to the God that lovingly created her and desires her to gain a "heart of wisdom". I must respond with a wisdom that understands that the "Word of God and the souls of men" (Holman Old Testament Commentary) are the only two things going to be ushered into eternity. It does, then, matter how I approach this young student. In fact, everything we do matters. Every action, thought, word, and intention rings a note into eternity. Considering eternity, I must step back and ask whether or not I am investing my life or spending it. In this Psalm Moses reminds us that we are under the constant sentence of death, and that we must seek wisdom on how to invest these few, small years we have. Will I confront this student today? Yes, because her eternity depends upon it. Will I, however, point her towards me as being the one transgressed upon? No, because I am not God. What will matter is my response. It matters that I love her and remind her of a God that sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for her and "take away the sins of the world" (John 1:9). My response matters, because eternity resonates, or should, in my heart today. What matters to you today? Getting revenge, or seeking restoration for a soul side lined by sin? Eternity requires our souls not our personal agendas. Today, I will choose to invest my life, so that another soul will see the value of serving Christ. How about you?