Urgent Lessons

Personally, I wanted to wait until Wednesday before writing this, but God has really put it on my heart and I pray that this reaches the people it needs to so that it may be used to administer healing to those who are mourning.

When I had decided to follow Jesus, I was blessed enough to have two friends who were already praying for me and caring for me spiritually. As our lives unfolded, mainly choice in college and my relocation, I am not as close as I used to be with either of them, but I thank God often for starting so well off. But when I was on the Internet yesterday, my heart shattered as I realized that one of these dear friend’s dad passed away unexpectedly. Apart from the pain that losing a parent must bring (I have not yet experienced this), I can still rejoice because I know that he was a devoted, Christ Following father who helped raise four, beautiful Christ-loving children with his wife. But the reason this pains me to write this is because I know his mother died unexpectedly around the same time of year four years ago. So as my friend’s siblings, one of which I also know well, mourn the loss of their father, eventually they will realize, if they haven’t already, that they will be parentless.

I am not writing this because my friends and their family need an extraordinary amount of support (although your prayers are always appreciated) because I know the church will step up to support them in every way, shape and form. I’m writing because I want to make it clear to everybody that there are lessons that we all can learn from this, and should accept quickly because we are “masters of our own destiny.” Please listen well - from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (I’m sure in this case “hands type” is an acceptable substitution).

1. There is no greater joy than to be perfected and united with your Creator.

I already said that my friend’s father was a Christ Follower. This extends to his late wife and all four of their children. All our lives as Christ Followers we run the good race so that we can receive the crown called Salvation. Upon finishing the race we shed this earthly prison called flesh and take on our holy, perfect and divine form. Surely, my friend’s family will hear some variation of this and will be truthfully proud and overjoyed for him because he will spend the rest of his days in the glory of His Creator and his earthly wife, whom he missed dearly. And although he leaves behind him room for healing among those who continue to love him, he died as a respectable man and a role model for all fathers to aspire towards.

2. We can not hesitate any longer to make a decision for Christ. And if we have made this decision we must share the good news with others and act according to our choice today and every day.

The decision for Christ for all people can’t come quick enough. We all think we have control over the day’s events. In James 4:14 the Bible says, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” By what I have written to you, I pray this needs nothing more for prove and thus demands appropriate action. How will people hear the great news we have to offer if we do not share it with them (Acts 8:31)? Furthermore if our words to not match our actions, how is anyone supposed to take us seriously (James 2:14-26)? God has placed you where you are today so that you can go out and make a difference within the (hidden) influences you have. Please, do not waste them!



Honestly, the death of any person should not be the motivation or reason to adjust our spiritual lives to how we were supposed to be living all along. But if something like this brings one person to Christ, no matter how obscure or indirectly it happens, I’m sure the family in mourning would agree that the pain they suffer today will be insignificant to the time where they could celebrate with that person for the rest of eternity.