Earlier this week I got a middle-of-the-night phone call that no one ever wants to receive. A loved one had passed away unexpectedly. Because he was young and seemed to be healthy, it came as an added shock.
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Aside from the typical sadness that comes with death, I’ve especially been grieving because throughout my loved one’s life he bristled when talking about Jesus Christ. While I hope and pray that at some point he had trusted Christ as his Savior, I’m faced head-on with the reality that people die every day without having a relationship with Jesus – and they spend an eternity apart from Him.
It’s a crucial reminder that as much as you and I try to make healthy choices, we are all going to die someday. That day may come sooner than we could ever expect. Protecting our health and the environment are noble things to do, but the most important thing in your life is the status of your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly. 1 But unless we accept Him as Lord and Savior, that abundant life is not ours. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 2 Not a way, a truth, or a life … but the.
I don’t know exactly who will read this post. And I don’t know your heart or what you believe. But with all of my being I implore you to stop right now and think about your relationship with Christ.
Have you turned from Him? Have you run from Him? Have you rejected Him? Have you admitted that you can’t live without Him? Have you surrendered your life to Him? Have you asked Him to take every part of you – the good and the bad – and make it His own?
If you have surrendered your life to Him and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, are you acting like it? Is your life showing it?
If you haven’t accepted Christ, why not? Are you waiting on something in particular before you make this decision?
I encourage you that there is no better time than right now to make that choice. Please don’t wait another moment. As I have learned, each and every minute is a gift – you can never be sure which one is your last.
Questions? I would love to help in any way I can. Please e-mail me at accidentallygreen@gmail.com.
Sources
1. John 10:10
2. John 14:6
Today, I’m linking up with:
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I’m sorry for your loss, but I pray that he’s in the arms of Jesus.
At my Grandmother’s funeral back in ’97 I remember that John 14 was chosen as the Gospel Lesson, and John 14:6 has been a favorite verse of mine since I was a kid. I really like the way you emphasized that He is THE way, truth, and life, and not A. I’ve never seen it that way before, and you put a whole new perspective on the choice that I made when I was so young that I can’t remember my life without Christ. Thank you for reminding me why I follow the One I do.
I am sorry for your loss. Much love to you and your family.