Making a Ding in the Universe

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of Apple, passed away just nine days ago on October 5.  It didn't take long for Facebook to light up for this man.  Dozens of people that I know changed their profile picture to the above photo, an apple logo, or some other commemorative picture.  Status updates featured lines like: 

"Goodbye Steve Jobs. You have changed the world forever and your legacy will live on. Prayers go out to your family and those that are grieving."

Other people tossed up inspirational quotes from Jobs on Twitter like this one:

“I want to put a ding in the universe.” - Steve Jobs



Steve Jobs has indeed made a very large impact on our world.  His name is a household name.  His innovations have literally helped define a generation by branding us with iPods, Macbooks, iPhones, and iPads.  The man is said to have reinvented the wheel with the original iPod.  He conquered the business world, created a legacy, merged culture with technology, amassed incredible wealth, and won victory after victory in his life.

But there was one battle he could not win.  Steve lost the fight to pancreatic cancer after battling it for roughly eight years.  Its more than a little eye-opening that a man with all of his money and power could not beat cancer.  It reminds me that none of us can push death off.  That's a good reminder isn't it?  None of our lives will last forever.  Death will come to us all one day.  That day may not be as far off as we'd like.  You may not want to think about this kind of stuff, but Steve Jobs thought this was something we should all think about.  Look at what he said.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.  You are already naked.  There is no reason not to follow your heart.  - Steve Jobs

The Bible agrees and actually says that funerals are better than parties because they remind us of this.


It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.  - Ecclesiastes 7:2

Wow.  Powerful words.  You may be young or old.  You may be rich or poor.  You may be important or unknown.  But one thing of which you can be certain is the day will come when your time is up.  You have not been guaranteed tomorrow.

For the past eight years, Steve Jobs lived in light of that fact because he had the real threat of cancer hanging over him.  He woke up every day knowing that it might be his last.  He fought to make his time count and we have seen the countless achievements that came from this man as he sought to "make a ding in the universe."

What if we all lived like that?  What would your life look like if you woke up every day and realized that this honestly could be your last day on earth?  Would you do things differently?  What would suddenly become unimportant to you?  What would suddenly become top priority?  Are there things you have left undone for a long time?  Perhaps there is a person you need to apologize to.  Or could there be a task God has placed on your heart that you have been avoiding?  Is there someone you would share the gospel with if you only had one last chance?  Or is there just a lot of wasted time that you would take advantage of by putting down the video games and getting off the couch?

I think we all share Steve's desire.  We all desire to put a ding in the universe.  We all desire to leave a legacy.  As Christians, we also desire to make an impact for Christ by sharing the gospel and serving in ministries.  

The problem is that most of us wake up and put that desire off.  We think, I'll really start serving the Lord and making an impact when I'm done with High School and become an adult.  Then the busyness and social extravaganza of college hits and we decide to put it off until we are done with college and have a job.  Then we get that job and are overwhelmed with living on our own and paying the bills so we put it off a while longer.  Then we end up falling in love and getting married and put it off again.  We have kids and put it off indefinitely.   


We put it off until we don't have any days left.  But God has created you for a purpose.  He has big plans for you.  He wants to use you everyday to make a difference.  Let's be reminded by Steve Jobs and Ecclesiastes.  Let's remind ourselves that life is short and we don't know when our last day will be.  Let's live every day as if it were our last.  Let's spend the time we do have to make a ding in this universe.  Let's make an impact for Christ and live our lives to the fullest on the things that matter.  Let's not put it off until tomorrow, let's start today.


So, what is your first step going to be?

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