“How Many Summers Do We Have Left?”

Living Wisely in the Time God Has Given Us

Song: Thankful for Today by Valkyrie Beatflow

This is not as a lesson about death, but as a lesson about stewardship of the time God has entrusted to us.

Key Scripture

Psalm 90:12 (ESV): “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Introduction

Recently, I learned that the average life expectancy for a Black male in America is approximately 72 to 74 years. 

Another way to look at that statistic is that, on average, we get about 74 summers to enjoy.

As I approach my 70th birthday, that fact causes me to reflect. Not out of fear, but out of appreciation. 

If the average person gets 74 summers, then many of mine are already behind me. 

Yet statistics do not determine our future—God does.

The truth is none of us knows whether we have 74 years, 74 days, or 74 minutes remaining. 

What we do know is that life is a gift, and God expects us to use it wisely.

Human nature convinces us we have plenty of time—until suddenly we don’t. 

One phone call, one diagnosis, one accident, one unexpected event can change everything.

The question is not how much time we have. The question is what we are doing with the time we have been given.

Lesson Objective

To understand that life is temporary, time is a gift from God, and wisdom requires us to live intentionally for His purposes.

Point 1: Life Is Shorter Than We Think

Scripture

James 4:14 (ESV): “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Discussion

Human beings naturally assume tomorrow is guaranteed.

• We plan for next year.
• We postpone obedience.
• We delay reconciliation.
• We put off our dreams.
• We say, “I’ll get around to it someday.”

But Scripture reminds us that life is like a morning fog—visible for a moment and then gone.

Discussion Question

What important things do people commonly postpone because they assume they have more time?

Point 2: Time Is One of God’s Greatest Gifts

Scripture 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV): “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

Discussion

Every person receives:

• 24 hours per day
• 168 hours per week

Rich or poor, young or old, everyone receives the same daily allotment.

The difference is not in how much time we receive but how wisely we use it.

Illustration

Imagine God deposited 86,400 dollars into your account every morning and removed whatever you did not spend by midnight.

You would use every dollar carefully.

God deposits 86,400 seconds into our lives every day.

How carefully do we spend them?

Point 3: Circumstances Can Change in an Instant

Scripture

Luke 12:16-20 (ESV)

The rich fool assumed he had many years ahead.

God said: “Fool! This night your soul is required of you.”

Discussion

Human nature says:

• “I’ve got time.”
• “I’ll do it later.”
• “One day I’ll serve more faithfully.”
• “One day I’ll repair that relationship.”

But life often changes suddenly.

A healthy person can receive a troubling diagnosis.

A secure job can disappear.

A family can be altered by one phone call.

None of us controls tomorrow.

Discussion Question

Have you ever experienced a moment when your life changed unexpectedly?

Point 4: Numbering Our Days Produces Wisdom

Scripture

Psalm 90:12 (ESV): “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Discussion

Moses is not teaching us to count days in fear.

He is teaching us to value days.

People who understand life is limited tend to:

• Love deeper
• Forgive quicker
• Worship more sincerely
• Serve more faithfully
• Waste less time

When we realize our summers are limited, every summer becomes more precious.

Point 5: Live So That Your Remaining Summers Matter

Scripture

Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV): “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Practical Applications

Ask yourself:

1. Is there someone I need to forgive?

1. Is there someone I need to encourage?

1. Is there ministry God has called me to begin?

1. Is there wisdom I need to pass on to the next generation?

1. If God called me home today, would I be satisfied with how I used my time?

Closing Thought

If the average Black male experiences around 74 summers, then each summer is precious.

But our lives are not measured by averages.

Some people receive more summers.

Some receive fewer.

Only God knows the number.

The issue is not whether we have 74 years or 74 minutes.

The issue is whether we are faithfully using whatever time God has entrusted to us.

Closing Scripture

Psalm 39:4-5 (ESV): “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.”

Closing Challenge

If this summer were your last summer, what would you do differently?

Then ask: Why wait?