I’ve been thinking lately about what I want people to say about me when I’m gone. There are a lot of things that I’m really proud of. I’m proud to be married to my high school sweetheart, Dawn. I’m proud to be a father of five awesome children. I’m proud of the years that I was able to serve our country as an Army Ranger. I’m privileged to be able to lead an amazing group of people at Calvary Baptist Church, in Columbus, Georgia. All of these things are very important in my life. But I think if someone were to summarize my life after I’m gone, the one thing I hope would stand out above everything else is… that I served Jesus. That’s all that I would want my headstone to say.
We all know we’re going to die
Did you realize that humans are the only creatures on earth that know they are going to die? Death is as much a part of the human condition as birth is. We all know that. Yet, most of us act like we are going to live forever.
Few of us live like it
Be honest, do you really live today like you could be dead tomorrow? When you make decisions do you factor in how fragile life is? How temporary this life is? If you’re like most people you don’t. When you begin a relationship, make business decisions or; plan for the future; do you factor into the equation your death?
We all know how this life is going to end for us. No one is rich enough to buy their way out of death. No one is intelligent enough to outsmart death. No one is strong enough, fast enough, or physically fit enough to live forever. All of us end up in the long, slow ride in a hearse to the grave.
So, what does it look like to live with “the end” in mind? It’s living life to the fullest. It’s thinking about what you want people to say about you when you’re gone- and the living that way right now.
What do you want people to say about you when your gone?
What about you? What do you want people to say about you when you’re gone? What do you want on your tombstone? Are you living that way right now or are you expecting people to lie about you at your funeral? If you want your children to call you a great mother at your funeral you have to live that way right now. If you want people to call you good man you have to live a good life right now.
I challenge you, live with the end in mind. Live your funeral remarks every day
