You only live once—if then.Life is short, and it can be as easily wasted as lived to the full. In the midst of our harried modern world, how do we make the most of life and the time we have?
In these fast and superficial times, Os Guinness calls us to consequential living. In strong contrast to both Eastern and secularist views of time, he reorients our very notion of history, not as cyclical nor as meaningless, but as linear and purposeful. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, time and history are meaningful, and human beings have agency to live with freedom and consequence in partnership with God. Thus we can seek to serve God's purpose for our generation, read the times, and discern our call for this moment in history.
Our time on earth has significance. Live rightly, discern the times, and redeem the day.
176 pages
"As a man in midlife, I am often reminded that like a piece of fruit or a loaf of bread, I, too, have an expiration date. With this awareness comes searching questions such as, 'What's it all for? Is there meaning to anything that I do, since it will one day all be forgotten? What does it mean to live well in light of such realities?' In characteristic fashion, Os Guinness not only explores these searching questions but offers satisfying, proven answers to them. If you are asking similar questions—or even if you're not—I can't recommend this book to you highly enough."
--- Scott Sauls, author of Befriend
"Oozing wisdom, this is a book that I suspect will get deep under the skin of readers, inspiring them for years. Os Guinness helps us amid our busy-bored culture to think hard about the time we have. If we do that, he shows the rewards are immense: we can live meaningfully and with unassailable hope."
--- Michael Reeves, president, Union School of Theology, UK
CONTENTS
Introduction: You Only Live Once—If Then 1. Singular, Significant, and Special 2. Survival of the Fastest 3. The Hidden Tyranny of Time 4. The Way to Seize the Day 5. Prophetic Untimeliness 6. The End Is Not the End Conclusion: Choose Life