I conducted a funeral recently for the mother of one of my longtime friends. I heard someone say something so profound that I’ll never forget it. “On your tombstone are two dates with a dash in between. That little dash represents your life.”

I want to challenge you today. What are you doing with your dash? Some will live to a nice old age. Others will perish much sooner. The point is that we don’t know when we’ll die. This may sound morbid, but we’re told in Scripture the value of numbering our days. Recognizing the frailty of life helps us spend our time more wisely.

Abel, whose name literally means, “whisper” or “vanity,” lived a short life compared to that of his contemporaries. Yet in that little “dash” he had more impact than that of his brother Cain, who spent hundreds of years roaming the earth, looking for happiness outside of the will of God.

Isn’t it ironic that Cain, who rejected God, got to live a long life. And Abel who courageously obeyed the Lord, was killed. But what’s better? A few years lived with purpose or decades of despair? None of us knows how long we have to live. That’s why today is the day to start living for God.

So recommit yourself to the Lord today, that no matter how long your life, you make the most of the dash between your two dates.