(Philippians 1:21)
This is obviously a subject we aren't fond of talking about, although
it is part of our daily life, especially when someone in our family or a
close friend dies. You have probably heard the statement, "nothing in life is
for sure except for death and taxes". Well, some have found ways of getting
around taxes, and while modern science has done remarkable things, they have
added only a few short years to the average lifespan. It is important to
understand that God created man to live forever, not to die. Death became a
byproduct, one of the consequences of the sin in the Garden of Eden. Now it
is something we must deal with during our life.
Many people, even many Christians, have a fear of death. That is normal.
Death is an unknown to us. We don't really know what is going to happen
through actual experience. Of course, as believers who know Christ as
Savior, we have the assurance that when this life is over, we will spend eternity in
Heaven with Him. We know that, we believe that, but since we have never
actually done it, there is that little bit of doubt, even fear. Again, don't
feel bad, it is common. However, the longer you walk with the Lord, the
closer you get to Him, the more you realize that this whole life isn't just
an accident or a coincidence. It is exactly like the Bible claims. We were
created in the image of God for the purpose of serving Him and glorifying
Him with our lives. If that is true, then the rest has to be true as well,
which means when we die we go to Heaven to be with our Creator for eternity.
Let me try to put this life in perspective for you. During our life, we
grow stage by stage. In our early years, we learn the basics of functioning in
this world and get an education. As an early adult, we start working and having a
family. In our elder years we slow down, reflect on our life, and hopefully
enjoy some of the fruits of our labor. Then death. Death wipes everything
out that we did in this life, such as our education, career, relationships
with people, whatever position or power we may have had, and our financial
resources. When Bill Gates dies, his money stays in this world, and rather
than being someone special because of his financial wealth, he is just
another soul. All of the things of this world pass away. THE ONLY THING WE
TAKE FROM THIS LIFE IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. If you have no
relationship with the Lord, then you leave this life with nothing. This is
why I constantly am harping on our daily relationship with the Lord. THIS
IS THE ONLY THING THAT WE TAKE FROM THIS LIFE INTO ETERNITY!!!! Understanding
this, can you see now how important it is to know Him each day, to build
that intimate, loving relationship with the Lord? The things of this life will
all pass away, but your relationship with the Lord carries on throughout
eternity.
I love you, and I care about you enough to challenge you today to refocus
your thoughts and priorities. Know how important your service to Him is
since it has eternal significance. Your day-to-day life here on earth has
no eternal significance, other than the things you do to impact the lives and
souls of people. That is why witnessing and serving the Lord are so critical.
Our jobs, our friends, our recreation have such a big part of our life, but
we need to try to refocus on the things we do each day that carry an eternal
weight to them. I will be praying for you today to really sit down and
reread this several times to let the words sink in. The Lord loves you.
Death is something that we have to deal with and accept. But we have the
knowledge and promise that when this life is over, we will be spending
eternity with our God. That knowledge should motivate us each day to
maintain our daily walk with the Lord and be about the things that will help
others know Him too.
