AFTER YOU ARE GONE
Gone? What do you mean?
I mean gone from this life. Gone to heaven.... or to hell.
"Oh," you say, "When I am gone, it won’t matter what happens. It will be too late."
No, that’s not true. Your life will still be influencing your children and your friends. They will remember what you did, how you lived, and they may seek to imitate you. For either good or bad.
If you loved Jesus and lived for Him, your loved ones are likely to begin to live that way themselves. They may change their habits and beliefs because of you, because they want to go to heaven to be with you.
On the other hand, if your life showed bitterness and hatred and self-will, those same attitudes may live long after you are gone. The same bitterness and anger may live on in your children because you didn’t ask their forgiveness or show them a better way to live.
Lots of things could happen after you are gone from this life.
Your prayers may finally be answered. That son who broke your heart may finally surrender to Jesus and experience new life. Your neighbors who lived without God may finally go to church to find the joy and peace you showed them. They will never forget the lessons you taught them by the way you lived. Your sisters and brothers will remember what was important to you.
So it really is worth getting up early to go to church. It will pay off to read the Bible through and quote a verse to your children now and then.
The things we do today, the things we believe with all our heart will have a lasting effect on our family and friends. When we are gone, they will remember what we said about Jesus. They will remember the brave attitude we had in times of trouble and trial.
They may want to make a change and live like us because we showed them our faith was real, right to the end.
Yes, it is possible. Wonderful things can happen even after we are gone.
Only one thing cannot happen: after we are gone, we can no longer change the direction of our lives. It will be too late to decide to follow Jesus, too late to ask Him to receive us into His family.
So make that decision today. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and make you a true Christian.
Then God can use you to draw others to Himself.
Rosemary Watson
Gone? What do you mean?
I mean gone from this life. Gone to heaven.... or to hell.
"Oh," you say, "When I am gone, it won’t matter what happens. It will be too late."
No, that’s not true. Your life will still be influencing your children and your friends. They will remember what you did, how you lived, and they may seek to imitate you. For either good or bad.
If you loved Jesus and lived for Him, your loved ones are likely to begin to live that way themselves. They may change their habits and beliefs because of you, because they want to go to heaven to be with you.
On the other hand, if your life showed bitterness and hatred and self-will, those same attitudes may live long after you are gone. The same bitterness and anger may live on in your children because you didn’t ask their forgiveness or show them a better way to live.
Lots of things could happen after you are gone from this life.
Your prayers may finally be answered. That son who broke your heart may finally surrender to Jesus and experience new life. Your neighbors who lived without God may finally go to church to find the joy and peace you showed them. They will never forget the lessons you taught them by the way you lived. Your sisters and brothers will remember what was important to you.
So it really is worth getting up early to go to church. It will pay off to read the Bible through and quote a verse to your children now and then.
The things we do today, the things we believe with all our heart will have a lasting effect on our family and friends. When we are gone, they will remember what we said about Jesus. They will remember the brave attitude we had in times of trouble and trial.
They may want to make a change and live like us because we showed them our faith was real, right to the end.
Yes, it is possible. Wonderful things can happen even after we are gone.
Only one thing cannot happen: after we are gone, we can no longer change the direction of our lives. It will be too late to decide to follow Jesus, too late to ask Him to receive us into His family.
So make that decision today. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and make you a true Christian.
Then God can use you to draw others to Himself.
Rosemary Watson
posted by Rosemary @ 1:20 PM
