Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Over my 35-plus years of Pastoring, I have given ear to the confidential stories of more people than I can remember. People often needed to talk with someone they trusted for advice, counsel, wisdom, or prayer or to think out loud. Something I came to understand about people getting closer to retirement age and older was that they often looked back on their lives and expressed certain regrets. When it came to listening to people’s regrets, two in particular stood out that I’d like to share with you. They were regrets I tried to learn from and do my best to avoid. The most frequent I heard was I wished I had used more of my life to serve the Lord instead of chasing meaningless dreams. The other regret I listened to the most was I wished I had realized how short life is, valued it, and used it more for the Lord. 

What stirs these two particular regrets in Christians? Everyone who reaches middle age or older comes to the reality of how quickly life passes. Many realize they’ve focused on elusive dreams more than living a beautiful life in Christ and that they could have made a more significant difference in this life for the Lord if they had put Him first place. Secondly, they realize that what matters most significantly in this life is to help others come to know their eternal destiny and experience the love of the Lord. But as they age, they struggle to find the energy to commit to that goal. They think it’s too late, and they regret it.

King David spoke to the Lord about that very thing in Psalms 39:4-5 (TLB) “Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to you. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! And all his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend.”

As people get closer to the last seasons of their lives, they come to grips with the truth that God has made nothing in this world to satisfy our longings outside of Him. What brings deep, inward, personal satisfaction to your life is knowing that God has a plan for your life and you have walked it out to the best of your ability. That happens when you realize God wants everyone to be saved from their sins through Jesus Christ and to grow, spiritually mature, and become disciples of Him. There are a thousand ways to contribute to that plan. When you realize this truth and allow it to become a core value of your life, then and only then will you look back on life without regret.

Many years ago, while working for the airlines, I was in a jet aircraft near-miss. It was so close that we barely avoided destruction and death. Two jet aircraft narrowly escaped a mid-air collision. As soon as the incident passed, I remember going through days of deep reflection about how my life almost ended. I couldn’t stop thinking about how disappointed I would have been standing before the Lord, giving an account of my life—so many good intentions but far too little follow-through.

l had made many changes since becoming a Christian, yet I knew there were so many things the Lord wanted me to do that I was ignoring. I repented to the Lord right then and there for three things! First, for having a casual attitude regarding His will; second, for thinking I had decades to get to it; and finally, for not doing what I knew He wanted me to do. It was at that time I experienced my second significant life change. The first was receiving Jesus as my personal Savior. This second one was to begin to live my life as wholeheartedly for Him as I could. I vowed to the Lord to quit procrastinating and step out in faith to do those things He had been speaking to my heart about! That was a mountain-moving time for me. My life’s new core value became that which was told by the Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24 (NIV.): “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

I immediately gave myself to things I knew He wanted me to do. My life has never been the same since. I am in a place where I feel as though I have served the Lord by serving people with every fiber of my being, with writing Fresh Manna being just one part of that experience. I have no regrets, and looking back, there is very little I would have changed since that day of awakening! Since then, my life has been all about people—dedicated to the task of testifying of the gospel and God’s great love, mercy, and grace for every human being. And that was not because I was a Pastor. I hadn’t become one yet. I began to live wholeheartedly for the Lord in my job, two businesses, and wherever God would lead me. I started Bible studies at church, taught children’s ministry, raised others in leadership, and started hundreds of small groups. Initially, I knew nothing and had to fight fear and feelings of inadequacy in everything I did. But over time, the Lord strengthened my confidence as I bore fruit.

There is nothing material we can take with us in this life. The only thing we can take to Heaven are those we had the privilege to influence and help come to know Jesus.

Empty legacies and achievements without Jesus will mean little and fade over time. But the things we do to help teach, direct, and encourage people in the Lord will last for all eternity.

I want the Apostle Paul’s testimony to be mine. We all should! In 2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV), he said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” There is nothing more satisfying, and that will keep us from regrets.

Don’t wait until you experience a crisis or get old to figure that out. Learn from others early in life and discover how rich your life in God can become! Serve Him. Serve His plan. Serve others. Do so, and you’ll lead the most spiritually rich life with few or no regrets!

1 Thessalonians 2:19 (NLT): “After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!” 

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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