A Word About Shelf Life
My wife and I had to be away from our home rather unexpectedly, a few weeks ago. Our plan was to visit family for two or three days and then return home. But circumstances too cumbersome to go into here meant we would be away from our home for more than six weeks! We had family and friends check on our place in our absence. But one thing we really didn’t take into account while we were gone was something called ‘shelf life.’
Most of us have noticed that products that are to be consumed by humans often have ‘best if used by’ dates. Sometimes, producers phrase their notices so they sound extra friendly or enjoyable. They print notices on the side of milk cartons with stuff like, “To experience the full freshness of our incredible product, you’ll want to enjoy it by (blank) date.” Consumers don’t have to pay attention to the dates most of the time. I mean, you can eat canned green beans after the ‘best if used by’ date. But I guess they’re ‘best’ if used by the date on the can. However, there are some food products that are truly best if used by a date printed on their container. And, the gallon of milk in our refrigerator sat while we were away for more than four weeks. When we returned, you can imagine that our milk had, you might say ‘expired’. Its shelf life couldn’t wait until we got back home. We had to pour it out. When we poured that milk down the drain, there was no saving it. Its time had passed. Its usefulness and freshness was gone.
But what about us humans? There can be a great temptation to view life as a ‘best if used by’ date or season. I mean, who doesn’t want to be fresh and feel alive? Who doesn’t want to be in their prime? Nothing wrong with that kind of thinking, I suppose, unless … well, unless you assume that since you may not feel in your prime, your ‘shelf life’ has expired.
Citizens in God’s kingdom are not cartons sitting in a refrigerator. Paul challenged believers in Corinth in 2 Corinthians chapter 4:16: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” That eternal truth changes the equation entirely. The fact that our bodies have obvious limits does not mean we were created with some indeterminant ‘shelf life.’ We may say someone has ‘expired.’ But, our lives in Jesus do not carry an expiration date. While we are here, God’s Spirit continues His quiet work, forming us, shaping us, calling us, using us.
As long as we have breath, we have purpose. In the hands of our loving God, our ‘best if used by’ is not a declaration of shelf life. It’s really more like an invitation: My life is best when it is used … today. The question is never whether I am past my prime. It is, rather, “Am I still available?”
Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.” We have no shelf life because of Him. Today… is a “best day to be used by.” A best day to be used by God.