Are you ready?

Frederick Beuchner write, “Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us.  We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true.  On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever.”   The Bible also touches on the subject.  To those of us who say “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit,” James writes “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:13-14).

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan writes:

As a pastor, I'm often called upon when life "vanishes like a mist."  One of the most powerful examples I've seen of this was Stan Gerlach, a successful businessman who was well known in the community. Stan was giving a eulogy at a memorial service when he decided to share the gospel. At the end of his message, Stan told the mourners, "You never know when God is going to take your life. At that moment, there's nothing you can do about it. Are you ready?" Then Stan sat down, fell over, and died. His wife and sons tried to resuscitate him, but there was nothing they could do-just as Stan had said a few minutes earlier.  I'll never forget receiving that phone call and heading over to the Gerlach house. Stan's wife, Suzy, was just arriving home. She hugged me and cried. One of her sons, John, stepped out of the car weeping. He asked me, "Did you hear the story? Did you hear? I'm so proud of him. My dad died doing what he loved doing most. He was telling people about Jesus."  I was asked to share a word with everyone gathered. There were children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends. I opened my bible to Matthew 10:32-33: "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."  I asked everyone to imagine what it must have felt like for Stan. One moment, he was at a memorial service saying to a crowd, "This is who Jesus is!" The next, he was before God hearing Jesus say, "This is who Stan Gerlach is!" One second he was confessing Jesus; a second later, Jesus was confessing him!  It happens that quickly. And it could happen to any of us. In the words of Stan Gerlach, "Are you ready?"

Wowsers.  Talk about convicting!  How am I living my life?  Am I living in pursuit of my own vain desires, or am I pursuing Christ wholeheartedly in all that I do?  Am I living life as if there is no death, or even putting off “important” things until later?  I claim to know Christ, but does He know me?

I know that God not only ordained the day of my birth, but He has also ordained the day of my death, and when He calls, there will be no stopping Him.   God could call me home this instant or sixty years from now—I do not know.   When God decides my time here on earth is complete, what will be the testimony of my life?  Will I be remembered as a woman after God’s own heart, one who was selfless in her service to others as she sought after God’s will?  I heard someone once say, “No one buries a bastard.” This sounds extremely harsh, but consider it for a moment and you’ll find it is quite true.  Even upon the death of the most wretched man or woman, people will find something positive to say, even if they have to scrape down to the bottom of the barrel to find it.  Some day when I die, I want my life to be a testimony to the grace and faithfulness of a mighty God towards me, a sin-soiled sinner.   My prayer is that throughout my life, I will live in such a manner that I bear witness to the reality of my Savior and His love and mercy towards His children.  I can’t delay to prepare myself to stand before the Creator of the universe some day.  I need to be preparing and pursuing Him now.  Am I ready? Are you ready?