What if in five minutes you breathed your last breath? And what if in five minutes you were met by angelic beings to carry you to meet God? In five minutes there would be no more words spoken. There would be no more apologies or making amends. No more second chances to put God first. No more wishing.

What if in four minutes the fun and games were done. The last softball game and the last jog through the park would be behind you. In four minutes your back and neck pain would be gone. In four minutes the debt and chores would be left to others. Personally, I apologize for those who have to clean my office and have to sort through the junk to find a few treasures.

What if in three minutes there isn’t a tomorrow and yesterday for you? In three minutes you would be in
the eternal now. In three minutes plans and calendars on your phone and desk would be tossed in the trash bag. They weren’t as important as you thought.

And then in two minutes you would never, ever be seen again by a living person. In two minutes you would not see most of your loved ones at a dinner table or rising in the morning. In two minutes your little babies and grand babies would know you only as a memory.

And if so, then in one minute all that would really matter is did you follow Jesus. All that would matter in one minute is did Jesus know you, Mt 7:23. Did you do the Father’s will? Did you forgive when asked to, Lk 17:3,4? Did you do get baptized like Paul, Acts 22:16? Did you always live with a clean conscience, Acts 24:16? Did you get rid of the idols in your heart, Ezek 14:3-7? Did you repent of backbiting and gossip and malice against others? Did you love the church? Did we love all of God’s children? Did we properly responded to the message of the cross? Or did you put it off for something else? Is something amiss that we knowingly have put aside for “a more convenient season”?

You and I could be finished with this life in five minutes. It’s why the Bible tells us to always be ready. We should always fear God, Pro. 23:17. We should always rejoice in the Lord, Phil. 4:4. We should always have the Lord in our mind and heart, Pro. 16:8 . We should always be alert and praying, Lk 21:36. We should always bear in our body the dying of Jesus, 2 Cor. 4:10. We should always abound in the work of the Lord. God said always. So we should do these always.

Because in five minutes I might be dead, I need to live my faith without regrets. It is why the Hebrews writer says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”, Heb 13:7,13; 4:7? And why did Paul remind that, “Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!”, 2 Cor. 6:2? The reason is that no one has tomorrow. We could be gone in five minutes.

Now if you are a Christian, in five minutes you could experience your first taste of eternal joy that never ends. “For now salvation is nearer than we first believed”, Rom 13:11. But time is passing and today we are all closer to eternity than yesterday.

If this simple message is pricking your heart, run to God and do His will immediately. Do no put it off until tonight or tomorrow. I say this in love.