As a pastor, I’ve noticed that events come in waves. A few months ago we had three babies born in one hospital in one day. Two weeks ago I had three affairs exposed in one morning. This week has been a week of funerals.

While death is a constant experience in the pastorate, I’ve been struck by one idea this week as I have attended or performed funerals—this life matters.

It is easy to get caught up in day to day living and be deceived into thinking that our lives do not really matter. The world existed before we got here and it will keep going after we are gone. If we aren’t careful, we can believe our decisions really don’t have a lasting impact.

But experience tells me a radically different story. Look into the eye of a grieving widow and tell her that her husband’s love didn’t matter. Speak with grieving children and tell me the choices of their deceased mother didn’t matter. Talk with a person on their death bed and convince me that our lives don’t matter.

The Bible makes it very clear, our lives matter.

This week as I’ve seen the hurt of grieving families and as I’ve reflected over lives lived, I can verify what the Bible teaches.

It matters what we do. Our actions have lasting consequences for ourselves and others. We might like to think we are different or unique from others, but bad decisions hurt and continue to hurt. Good decisions can have lasting consequences we can’t even begin to imagine. Our actions count. Not only does the Bible promise that they count for eternity, but they have a true meaning while we are alive and even after we are gone. We should never take our actions lightly because they matter.

It matters what we say. When I was notified of a tragic death this week, my first thoughts were of the last conversation I had with the person. It was a meaningful talk in which the person truly revealed their heart. What a blessing it is to have that memory of this friend. He spoke his heart and for that I am grateful.

It matters what we believe. Faith has consequences. Every belief cannot be the same; they cannot be equal. Faith systems say contradicting things about each other. There is a right and wrong. What we believe matters. It influences our decision making, our priorities, and our lives. What we do is born in our belief systems. Those beliefs matter too much to be left to chance or ignored. We must take the time to consider the truth, find it, and live by it.

Every time I stand behind a casket and give a funeral sermon, I am reminded that I could be just 48 hours away from either being in the casket or sitting on the front row for the funeral service of any one of my friends or loved ones.

The prophet says we are but “a step from death.”

While we live in daily denial of this truth—in part, to preserve our own sanity—we do well to occasionally remind ourselves of reality. We won’t be here forever. At any moment, we could meet our end. And at that moment, everything we have done, said, and believed will matter more than we understand.

If you died right now:

• What would be your legacy?
• What would be the lasting words your kids or spouse would remember?
• What issues would be left unresolved for those you love?
• What questions would they have which you have left unanswered?
• Would they know you loved them?
• Would they be at peace regarding your relationship with them? With others? With God?

If you are unhappy with any of your answers, change that today.

Trust me, it matters.

 

For more, see:

And After the Funeral She Hit Him in the Nuts

The Day I Almost Died by Rear-ending a Hearse