"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
The apostle Paul to his understudy Timothy
When all of life is over for you, will you be able to look back and say that you have no regrets. Will you be able to say, as Paul, I have finished my course? Or, will you look back from your death bed and lament the fact that there were things you were supposed to do, things you should have done, and things you could have done, but, for what ever reason, you did not accomplish them? Is there any thing that you left undone that will cause remorse?
I am not speaking of the nominal things in life, such as a place you would have liked to visit or an activity in which you would have liked to have participated. I am referring to the things that really matter in life. Was there someone in your life who you failed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with? Did God call you to do something and you ran the other way like the prophet Jonah? Was your relationship with the family God gave you in good order? What kind of legacy will you leave for your children and grand children to remember you? When you pass into eternity will you be ushered into the presence of the Most High God, or will you perish in the everlasting fire with the devil and his angels? What are you building on your "salvation foundation" (see I Corinthians 3:11 KJV)? When your works are tried by God's holy fire will they burn or will they stand? I can go on with the questions, but, instead, I will progress. The reason I ask these questions is this: I don't want my life to be about what I could have, should have, or would have done. That should be your desire as well.
First, and foremost, above all else be sure of your salvation. Jesus has said that "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven." Jesus later tells us what the will of the Father is: "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." What would surprise you the most if you died and woke up in hell? Please, please, please be sure that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour.
Secondly, live your life in a way that will be well pleasing to God. I can say that I have not always done that. There were several years of my life that God was just an after thought. When I look back when I am old and gray, that is something that will haunt me. I would like to share a personal story here. God had called me to be a preacher when I was 17, but I let life get in the way. I let my own plans get in the way. I let my own personal sin get in the way. Just as he did to Jonah, God sent storms into my life to wake me up to my problems. However, the more storms He sent, the more I hardened my heart. Then one morning I went to church to see Adam (my oldest son) in his first Patch the Pirate program when God really got a hold of me. A missionary from Brazil was preaching that morning. He told the story of an old man in a church there who had surrendered to preach when he was a young man, but he never did any thing about it. Now, he was in his late 60's and all he could do was cry, because he had waited too long. Man, that hit me right in the heart. I knew God had orchestrated the events of that morning (the program, the missionary) to speak to me. I knew that my time was running out to get my life straight, for God has said that His Spirit will not always strive with man. Believe me, It had been striving for some time at that point. I had quenched the Spirit numerous times and had the feeling in my soul that I was getting close to the end of God's mercy and that He was about to deliver me to Satan for the destruction of my flesh. How close I really was I do not know, but I was very concerned about it. Anyway, I knew in my heart that I did not want to be that old man the missionary had spoken of. I could no longer ignore God's calling for my life. That is where I am now. I have been accepted to Baptist Bible College and will begin classes on January 23. That brings me full circle.
I am going about the course that God has set before me. When I am on my bed of death, I want to be able to say that "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith." Because God is merciful I am able to have another chance to do that. I will always have to wonder about the years I wandered from God. Is there someone in hell today, because I was not there to tell them about the love of God? Was there someone who could have used a word of encouragement from me, but I was not around to give it? I will not know until I get to Heaven and I will not dwell on it at this time. I have asked and received the forgiveness of God for my past failures and sins. He remembers them no more and I am working on forgetting them myself. I am sure there will be some lamenting for me as I prepare to pass into God's presence, but it is my goal from this point forward in my life that I will be able to say "I have no regrets." Will you be able to say that, as well?
4 comments:
Humility is lost in religion these days. If people lived by the great commandment "treat your neighbor as thyself" there would be no need for continuous preaching.
The world is not evil, only to those who choose to look at it that way. It is good to have faith, but I can personally say I have been soured on Christianity by the amount of people that have tried preaching to me as if I am a bad person, when, in reality they have no idea who I am.
Actions always speaker louder than words, and the soft spoken tend to make more difference in this world, to me.
Good post. One of my favorite quotes in the Bible is where the woman poured the alabaster box of ointment over the head of Jesus. As the disciples chastised her, Jesus said, "Leave her alone, she hath done what she could". What an epitaph!
Peter, as a Christian, all I can say to you is, I am so sorry you have encountered such people claiming to be Christians, yet lacking love. I pray the Spirit of God will touch you somehow, someday and draw you to Himself.
David, thank you for this post. I too, often lament the past years of my life when they were wasted on worldy pleasures, and basically stolen from the Lord. I pray that when I die, that I indeed will have no regrets.
A very good post. However, will there ever be a time when I look back thinking that I answered every calling God called me to do?
No. I can however know that He is patient,forgiving and knows that I am human.
Two things I know for sure in this life.
1) He is God and I am not.
2) I can never be a bigger failure as a human being than he expected me to be.
Thanks to Christ, we can all celebrate his victory and know that his forgiveness follows all the truly know him.
One thing you need to remember regarding something you said, I quote: "Is there someone in hell today, because I was not there to tell them about the love of God?"
Those that seek him WILL find him. For us to ask the question that you asked, would suggest that we have some type of "control" over someone's salvation. If the Holy Spirit is calling that person to Jesus, someone will be used. If not you, someone else.
Again, great post.
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