Dying Well

Yesterday I visited a friend of mine who is dying. I did not know 12 years ago when we first met the direction the journey my life would take. We grew close though hard times. I worked to encourage him as we struggled though a building project at our church. He stood by me when things grew difficult in my life and I needed a friend.

He is now a pastor in his own church, yet still calls me his pastor. When he left to follow his call five years ago only God knew the path his life would take. Unless God intervenes, he has only a few weeks left. He has asked me to do his funeral. Life takes some amazing twists.

Was his life “successful?” The world would look at it and shake its head “No.” He left a good paying job, the town he grew up in, chasing some call half way over the country only to return somewhat broken.

I would ask another question. “Was his life fruitful?” I would shout out a loud “YES!” Over the course of his life hearts were touched, people were drawn to Jesus, and friendships were made. It seems to me that some of his most fruitful work is being done now. In the midst of his pain and dying he communicates a deep love for God. He has a joyous grasp of God’s grace. He told me that he is living his “bucket list.”

The fruit of his life germinates in the lives of those around him. Especially in the lives of those who are walking with him in the valley of the shadow of death. The fruit of God’s love takes root and grows in those who have been touched by him and his faith.

Through him I have learned more of what it means to take up our cross. When we take up our cross and die on it, our lives bear the greatest fruit. It is in our greatest weakness that God’s strength is perfected.

He has given me the gift of his faith and an understanding of what it means to die well.

What you see is what you get

In Psalm 16:8 we read: “I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” NIV I wonder how it would affect us if we really kept the Lord always before our eyes? What if I saw Jesus there in every situation, in every problem, and in each person?

I think we would lose our self-dependency. We would stop trusting in ourselves for we would realize that we do not see life like Jesus sees it. We would realize our total need to lean on Jesus in the midst of everyday life.

We would grow in our awareness of God’s presence. We would begin to see him everywhere. How many times did I think that God could not possibly be in that problem only to discover later he was working out his plan? We would see God working in each person’s life. We could sense his presence in our hearts as we travel our journey in life.

We would “see” God more clearly than the world around us. He would become very real to us. We would know that God is here with us. We can smell him in the scent of a flower. We hear him in the song of the birds. We see him in the crimson sunset. He is alive within our lives.

Worry and anxiety would flee away. We need no longer become concerned by the fears of life. Why? We have set the Lord always before our eyes. His perfect love casts out all fear.

We begin to see others as God sees them. We begin to understand the hurt, the rejection and the pain that has driven that jerk at work to act like he does. We grasp the heart of God for people. We grow in his grace toward people. We express his love to the unlovable. We know that whatever we have done unto the least of these we have done unto God.

Finally we grow in purity and holiness. Keeping God always before our eyes keeps us faithful to honor him with our lives. We know he sees all and hears all. Our respect for him and our love for him lift us above the draw of the flesh. Our actions, thoughts and attitudes of our hearts display the character of God at all times.

Do I keep the Lord always before my eyes?