Christmas Eve will, no doubt, bring the obligatory news interview with some frazzled soul at the mall who hasn’t started their shopping. A sheepish grin will be followed by this rationalization, “Christmas just snuck up on me this year!”

It’s a familiar story, life gets busy, we put things off, and the calendar catches up with us. But let’s be honest, Christmas day doesn’t randomly hop around the calendar. If I’m not mistaken, it’s December 25th every year.

“You don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” observed Jesus’ brother, (James 4:14). Simply put, procrastination can rob us of the opportunity to act when it matters most.

The truth is, important things rarely “sneak up” on us in life. Just as the coming of Christmas doesn’t change from year to year, neither do God’s promises or expectations. For example, it will be forever true that the Lord requires that we “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly” before Him (Micah 6:8). Simple… but easy to forget.

And so, this Christmas as you finish your shopping, wrapping, and celebrating, don’t let the more important event – eternity – sneak up on you. Remember, your life is not the time between your birth and death, it’s the time between now and your next breath.

So, if there’s someone you need to forgive, forgive them. If there’s an attitude, word or behavior you need to jettison, then get rid of it. If there’s someone you need to tell that you love them, tell them. And most importantly, if your heart isn’t right with God, then make it so. Today is the day to act, to pray, to forgive, to love, and to surrender fully to God. Whatever you do, don’t let eternity sneak up on you.

Just a thought.