A Vapor and a Choice: Living for Eternity in a Fleeting Life
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
—James 4:14 (KJV)
James, the half-brother of Jesus, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, gives us one of the most sobering truths in all of Scripture:
Life is a vapor.
Not a mountain.
Not a monument.
Not a fortress.
A vapor.
It appears for a moment.
And then it is gone.
This single verse is a thunderous call to examine how we are living—and why we are living. If we truly understood the brevity of life and the vastness of eternity, it would shake us to the core. It would change our priorities. It would redefine success. It would cause us to live, not for the applause of men, but for the approval of God.
The Illusion of Time
In today’s world, people invest decades into careers, accumulate possessions, and chase pleasure—all under the illusion that this life is long and satisfying. But eternity will reveal how deceived many were.
The average life expectancy hovers between 75 and 80 years. Let’s call it what it is: a blink, compared to what lies beyond.
“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.”
—1 Peter 1:24 (KJV)
Yet with this vapor, God has granted us the most precious gift—the ability to choose where we will spend forever.
Eternity: The Line That Never Ends
Picture a single blue dot. That dot is your life—your birth to your death. Now picture a never-ending line extending into the distance. That line is eternity.
Now hear this:
How you live in the dot determines where you’ll spend the line.
Jesus said:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
—Matthew 6:19–21 (KJV)
To live for earth is to waste the vapor.
To live for heaven is to redeem it.
Modern Parallels: A Generation Distracted
In a generation obsessed with social media, status, and self-glorification, the concept of living with eternity in mind has become rare. Many have become so consumed with the temporary, they have lost sight of the eternal.
This is the great deception of the last days—to live for the now and forget the forever.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”
—2 Timothy 3:1–2 (KJV)
But the wise understand that every decision, every sacrifice, every act of obedience in this life echoes forever.
A Call to Repentance
Let this be your wake-up call.
If you've been spending your vapor on vanity, repent.
If you've been consumed with comfort, entertainment, or ego, return to your first love.
If you've been ignoring the promptings of the Holy Spirit, delay no longer.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
—Ephesians 5:15–16 (KJV)
The days are evil.
The time is short.
Your vapor is vanishing.
And eternity is closer than you think.
The Gospel: Eternal Security Through Christ Alone
The good news is this: while your life may be short, Jesus offers eternal life.
You do not earn salvation by effort. You receive it by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23 (KJV)“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
—Romans 10:9 (KJV)
Repent of your sin.
Place your trust in Christ.
Follow Him in this vapor.
Rejoice with Him forever.
Final Reflection: Make the Vapor Count
The world is burning time.
But you are called to redeem it.
Do not squander the few moments you’ve been given.
Live with urgency.
Love with sincerity.
Obey with boldness.
Store up treasure not in the dot, but in the line.
Your vapor matters.
But only if it is lived for Christ.
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