A good friend and co-laborer in the Gospel passed away recently. His passing was sudden and untimely, as it is it seems for all whom we love. His passing has given me pause to think about my life and really how brief it is. The fact is that when we are born, we are all bound for the grave. We don’t know when and we don’t know what will be the cause of our death. God did not create these mortal bodies to last forever – but for a season, the length of which only God knows.
As born again – bound for heaven – Believers – we each have an eternal purpose declared by God while we live out our natural lives. None of us know when our next breath will be our last. We should not live like there will be a tomorrow, because there may not be.
“And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” – Luke 12:17-20
The story of that man has to do with living life fully focused on the natural. I just celebrated my 69th birthday. In practical terms that means that I have lived most of the average life span for a man living in the United States (80 yrs). I may have 10 or 11 years left in this life if I am average. It is something none of us like to think about. But the question that comes to my mind is what am I going to do with those years? It is like taking an exam in school. You have 20 questions to answer and realize you only have 10 minutes left. Choose which questions you answer wisely – probably the ones with the most points assigned.
For us – for me – the most important question should be what will we, will I, do for God that has eternal benefit.
“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And he said, ‘What shall I cry?’ ‘All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.’” – Isaiah 40:6-8
My friend lived for God’s glory and the good of others, until the day that he breathed his last. I’m thinking that is a pretty good example to follow.
Soli Deo Gloria
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