Live Like You Were Dying

We are studying the book of Revelation for the Youth and Young Adult Retreat for Louis’ Church this weekend. In prepping for this study, I have learned much.  This is a book of the Bible is most people stay away from….even Pastors don’t preach on it much….because it can be confusing and controversial.  I look forward to diving into it some more.

The biggest thing I have learned during studying it so far is to “live like you were dying!” I know it is a morbid subject to think about…but what would you do if you thought you were dying? How would you live?  What would you change? Would you be willing to face your maker and answer for your decisions and your life?

Recently, I thought about Frank….dying on the street outside my house. He didn’t know what was coming.  But, God has given him another chance to live in a way that brings Him glory.  Unfortunately, even after EVERYTHING that he and his family went through…the pull of the street was too strong. He went back to his old life and landed himself in prison for about 10-11 years.  So far…it’s 1 year down…10 to go! I pray that he meets Jesus in a powerful way and is changed…for good!  Jesus makes ALL things new!

But, we are not to judge!  Every day…we go back to our lives as we knew them.  It’s that constant struggle that Paul referred to.  While we are on this earth…there will always be the struggle.  But, there will come a day when we will struggle no more.  Like Francis Chan’s wife said in the Surrender video…I want to hear him say “Well done, Marti!!  Well done!”  I WANT to hear…

Well done, Marti!  You listened to me…you didn’t move to St Louis even though you don’t know what is next.

Well done, Marti!  You obeyed Me.  You moved into SBH and stayed even after some really crazy and scary things occurred…because I called you there.

Well done, Marti!  You lived on mission with me in spite of what others thought and said.

Well done, Marti!  You take my commandments seriously.  To love God and love your neighbor.  Your neighbors are everyone you meet…at work, at home, in the grocery store, at church, on the corner filled with drug dealers and prostitutes.

Well done, Marti!!!  Come on in!

But, I must confess…there are many days that I do NOT rise to that challenge.  There are days that I want to pack up and move.  There are days that I fail miserably in my marriage and not love Louis like I should.  There are days when I just don’t feel like stopping to fix Everett a sandwich because he is hungry.  There are days when I’m “too busy” to hang with the kids and listen to them.  There are days when I don’t spend time in the Word and in prayer like I should.  There are days of being a “pastor’s wife” that are a little too much to ask!  (Just to name a few of my many, many faults!!! Don’t see this as me “beating myself up”. This is just the plain reality of it…..life here on earth.  I am sinful…)

I am so thankful God knows my HEART!  That He doesn’t have a checklist of aaaallll the things we on earth call religion that are not Biblical.  The long list of man-made “do’s and don’ts” that so many of us think we won’t and can’t live up to….so we stop trying.

I appreciate that I am Saved by Grace and NOT by works.  I could NEVER do enough good works to earn his forgiveness and salvation!

I am grateful for a loving, merciful, holy God who loved me way before I loved Him and just wants a relationship with me…not that routine checklist surface relationship….but an intimate, deep, close relationship.

And, you know what?!?!?!?  IT’S FREE!!!!!

Come…all who are thirsty….

Take a long deep drink of God’s Perfect Love….