Do You Ever Think About Dying?

Do You Ever Think About Dying? Do you ever think about the end of your life?

An argument (almost) inevitably erupts between Larry and me when the subject of death surfaces. On this topic he and I predictably disagree, and feelings escalate. Relentlessly, we quarrel over who gets to die first.

Winnie the Pooh’s poem softens the sentiments for us:

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one. I never want to live a day without you.”

Neither my beloved nor I can fathom life without the other, but face it, the decision is not ours to make. My days (and his) are numbered; I have no idea when my end will come. (Psalm 139:16)

However…

Between now and then, I want each day to count. I want to wring every drop of purpose and meaning out of my temporal existence. But we ask, "How is that humanly possible?" I invite you to join me to revisit and further develop the thoughts from a previous blog: What Is Your Epithet?  

In our performance-oriented, pressure-driven world, you and I are left to doubt and question the validity of our efforts. How do we know that we are doing the right thing with our days? The Words of Jesus (Mark 14:8) meet us with invigorating encouragement: She did what she could.

Three guidelines pave the way for you and me to march today confidently toward our inevitable last day.

Guideline #1: Make Jesus our focus.

Determine that pleasing and serving Him is central for the whole of life. Imagine the lens of a sophisticated camera. As the photographer turns the black cylinder, the fuzziness disappears, and the correct image emerges as paramount. So it is when we fix our gaze is fixed on Him.  

Guideline #2: Live above the opinions of others.

Unfortunately, noise reduction headsets are not available for the harsh rebukes and judgmental opinions of others. Determine to rise above the racket, and do what He wants you to do. When you allow the Voice of Grace to silence the voices of criticism, this is what you will hear:

She did what she could. Acceptance from Jesus

She did what she could. Approval from Jesus

She did what she could. Affirmation from Jesus

Guideline #3 Give Him our best and give it now.

Don’t bargain on this point; don’t negotiate; don’t be stingy. For goodness sake, don’t withhold the best for later. Go ahead—give Him Your best. Now. Give Him the best of your day, the best of your calendar, the best of your possessions, the best place in your relationships. Pleasing the Savior is the supreme priority for any woman; worshipping Him is the ultimate pursuit transcending century and culture.

Perhaps you, too, want your living epithet to read: She did what she could.

Living With Eternal Intentionality™

In today’s frantic frenzy, how are you challenged to make Jesus your focus?

When do the opinions of others dictate decisions on how you invest your life?

What is different when Jesus gets the best of your time and calendar?

Robert Frost Comes Forward

Destiny. A sense of destiny gripped me the first time I read Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken. Sitting in my hard desk in Mrs. Heinrich’s eighth grade English class, the poet’s articulate description drew me in, and the last line left me sobered. Would I have the courage to choose the less traveled road, especially if the decision held difficulty, loneliness, or adversity?

Eighth grade was not a good year for me. Challenged academically, marginalized socially, and confused spiritually, I floundered. In some strange way, this poem offered comfort.

Decades later, the work of Robert Frost’s poem still intrigues me. What if  whispers in my ear. With a grateful heart, I celebrate The Road that has made all the difference.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Living With Eternal Intentionality™

What did Jesus mean when He spoke of two different roads in Matthew 7: 13-15?

Where do you look back and realize that you have taken the road less traveled?

Not a Multiple Choice Answer

Who Do You Say That I Am? (Not a Multiple Choice answer)

I assumed the church bookstore was empty as I meandered from shelf to shelf. Eventually, though, I became aware that someone else also studied the literary items on display. Without speaking, we independently perused the wares. 

After a bit, the gentleman took the initiative, broke the silence, and said, “Hello Debby. I am _____________. We are glad you are here.”

Oblivious—and as you will soon see, uninformed—I said, “Oh, hello. What did you say is your name?" 

He repeated his dignified name for me.

“So, what do you do here?” I ventured.

(I think he cleared his throat before answering), “I am the senior pastor.” If only a mulligan existed in conversation!

Larry and I were invited to participate as guest speakers for this mega church missions conference in a geographical area unfamiliar to us. But that was no excuse. This error landed in my court. My lack of readiness left me humiliated, and left the church’s leader feeling awkward.

Questions of identity are not limited to awkward conversations in church bookstores. Nor is identity confined to modern-day society. In fact, identify stood at the heart of the question Jesus presented to His disciples in Matthew 16:16. Who do you say I am?

Possible answers to Jesus' inquiry could be:

You are a part of my life.

You are my ticket to heaven.

You are an emergency exit when the building of my life is on fire.

You are an historical figure.

You are an excellent doctor when I face a medical crisis.

You are a counselor when my marriage is in turmoil.

You are my 911.

Yet, it is Peter’s answer of epic proportions which reverberates down through history: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Human destiny hangs in the balance with an individual’s response to this watershed question. Faith and belief allow for only one right answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Here we pivot from Peter's ancient answer to the present, and bring THEN into NOW. Actually, you and I minimize Jesus when we compartmentalize Him only to eternity.

If (and He is) the Christ, the Son of the living God for THEN, He is the Christ, the Son of the living God for NOW.  

For instance,

In this season of unexpected success? Who do you say that I am?

In this painful betrayal: Who do you say that I am?

In this uncomfortable set of circumstances: Who do you say that I am?

In this heartache: Who do you say that I am?

In this uphill challenge: Who do you say that I am?

In this financial setback: Who do you say that I am?

In the restructuring at the office: Who do you say that I am?

In discovering my teenager's receipt left in the car: Who do you say that I am?

In this time crunch to make a lifetime decision: Who do you say that I am?

Just as He asked Peter yesterday, He asks you and me today. The bottom line is the only right Answer: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. The opportunity to honor Him as the Christ the Son of the living God, integrates faith and belief into real life, real problems, and real dilemmas. When you and I yield to His Identity, we give Him full access and full authority into this moment, this second, and this situation.

Who do you say that I am? You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Living With Eternal Intentionality™

How have you personally answered this question of eternal destiny?

How are you answering this question in a situation you face today?

This is the second question in a Biblical series entitled: Classic Questions