Read: Proverbs 5:11 (The Message)
You don’t want to end your life full of regrets,
nothing but sin and bones.
“R.I.P.”
Unless Jesus returns sometime in the next 50 or so years—which I hope he does—you and I are likely to have a headstone that marks our final resting place. Rest In Peace!
I know, that’s kind of a morbid thought to start off a devotional, but it’s true. It’s a sobering and inescapable reality for all people, since the last I checked, the human mortality rate was hovering around, oh, about 100%.
I think one of the healthiest things a person can do is to take a look ahead to that fateful day and envision what will be engraved on our tombstone. That little inscription really is the summation of our lives, isn’t it—those half dozen words carved into granite by our surviving loved ones.
What do you want yours to say? Well, here’s the thing: Start living that way now so that what you want your epitaph to say then will be a no-brainer for your family. If you want to be known then as a loving husband—starting loving your wife now! If you want to be known then as a good friend—start being the kind of friend now that you would want to have! If you want to be known as one who served God wholeheartedly—well, get with it right now. Whatever it is you want said of you then, start living that way now! As Solomon said in Proverbs 5:7,
“So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually.”
Seriously, this is no casual concern. So give that some thought, and then just get after it!
By the way, the following line is from the life of a young man who died on his way to the mission field—William Borden.
You can read his incredibly moving story at http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/regret.htm. This was the summation of his brief life, and it’s how I’d like to be remembered, too.
No reserves! No retreats! No regrets!
Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It:
First, give this blog some serious contemplation; then write out your epitaph. Make it three or four lines at the most, and put it in a place where you can regularly review it. Most of all, make sure you are living in such a way that it will be true of you.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.