Paul was saying his
goodbyes to the elders of the church in Ephesus. He knew that this would be the
last time he would see them on earth. He knew that what lied ahead of him in
Jerusalem was not going to be good for him. But, he also knew that God was
leading him there. Paul understood the dangers and they did not bother him. He
valued the opportunities to be a witness for Christ more than he did life
itself.
We fight for life. We
do everything we possibly can do to make sure we can still live. We don't want
to die and often fear it. We associate death with the end of all living instead
of its beginning. We don't want to let go of what we know and enter into the
unknown. However, Paul had a different perspective on things.
Paul understood that
death was a stepping stone to life. He knew that on the other side of life
lived Christ and all who die in the faith. He did not fear death; rather, he
welcomed it. Far more important to Paul was seizing the opportunities he had to
serve the Lord by telling others about Him. He was far more interested in
living each moment for Christ than dwelling on his uncertain future on earth.
Are you more concerned
about your dying than you are your living? Don't squander your life away
worrying about when you may die. Instead, serve the Lord. Occupy your mind with
the things of God and you won't have time to dwell on that which may frighten
you. There is so much that you can do for the Lord. Don't waste your time on
those things beyond your control. Treat each day as the Lord's Day and serve
Him well. If you do, there will be peace in the valley of the shadows of death for
you.
For the child of
God, we die to live and live to die. We
understand that on the other side of death lies eternal life with our
Lord. So, no matter what it may cost you
in this life, live for Jesus. It will be
worth it all when we see Him face-to-face.
No comments:
Post a Comment