I've but one life to live

I've one life to live. Just one, only one.
The idea of having just one life to live on this planet puts things into a rather unique perspective, one which is hard to swallow. Up until very recently it would appear I was oblivious to this knowledge.

I knew full well once you died that was it. Perhaps it was the idea of life after death which was harder for me to swallow.

The average person on this planet probably has the average selfish dream- The american dream. The Big house, the nice car, the hot wife or husband, enough money for comfortable living and retirement. That is the american dream- the skeptics dream- this planets selfish dream.

I don't believe there is anything wrong with living comfortably. I don't believe there is anything wrong with having a large house or a nice car. I don't believe there is a single thing wrong with wanting to have an attractive husband or wife. However, the reasoning behind wanting these things most often is wrong. Why? More often than not, this dream is a self absorbed dream. A selfish dream. It was my dream. It was a skeptics dream.

The fact that we have one life to live on this planet is hard to swallow for the skeptic because, the skeptics desires can never be satisfied. The house can never be large enough. The car can never be nice enough. The husband or wife can never be hot enough. The skeptic will never be popular enough. That Vodka will never get them drunk enough. The weed high enough. The sense of accomplishment when climbing the corporate ladder will never be enough. There will never be enough money to satisfy. There is always more, more, more and the one life we live on this planet is not long enough to satisfy our selfish desires. Once you're gone, you're gone. There is no more wealth, There is no more partying, no more sex, no more entertainment. That's it- it's over. How can a skeptic make a lasting impact on the world when there is just another skeptic waiting to replace him when he's gone.

The fact that there is life after death is even harder for the skeptic to swallow because of all the reasons above. Why would a skeptic want to believe in life after death when they're too busy trying to make much of themselves while they are still on this planet?

How do I make much of this life humbly?
How do I not waste it?
How can I make a lasting impact?

I Thank God for his glorious grace, which allowed this skeptic to finally look up and say "He is real". I Thank God for his glorious grace, that this skeptic could look at the four gospels and say "That is real". I Thank God for his glorious grace so that this skeptic would see the glory of the cross on which his son died so that I may have a relationship with him. I Thank God for his glorious grace that I've finally been filled with His Holy Spirit. I Thank God for his glorious grace that this skeptic is no longer a skeptic- but I have been born again in Christ. My life is no longer my own, for I've been bought with a price. I'm now a foreigner to this land. This life is just but the beginning. My treasure is in heaven, but I'm still standing in this fallen world which is no longer my own.

How can I not waste it?
How can I further magnify the glory of God?

I cannot wait to praise Him for the rest of my days, but until that day comes and life on this earth ends- I hope to not waste what's left of my short, earthly life.