If You Were Dying Would Your Life Change?

Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA

If you knew your life was about to change, would it make a difference?

Matt 24:36-46. We don’t know when Jesus is coming again, but we’re told that normal life will be going on… and then the unexpected happens, and He returns! If we knew when Jesus was coming, would we do anything different?

In James 4:13-15, we see that life is routine and mundane; we make plans for the future, weddings, seeing grandchildren, we expect to grow old with our spouses. We can get complacent about how we live our lives. We don’t plan for accidents, drownings, or hearing the word “cancer”! I don’t want to be morbid or depressing, just remind us that life is uncertain!

If you knew that life was going to change, would you do anything different?

When Michael and Cheryl experienced a health crisis together, they were told in the middle of a dark night that it was likely cancer! It was the unexpected… they thought back over their lives together, their memories… they cried together. Life looks different when we face the unexpected! But Michael said, it might have been the best thing that ever happened to us! Building a business suddenly wasn’t that important… it’s a time to examine the purpose of our lives.

Let’s look at four questions that times of crisis make us ask ourselves.

First, how is our relationship with God? What will it be like to stand before Him? Is our name in the Book of Life? It matters a lot if our name is there! Hallelujah if it is!

Secondly, what is our relationship with those in our families? What are things like at home, with our spouses, with our children? Would I have regrets? Do we have their hearts? Have we made mistakes? Have we made them right?

Thirdly, what about the church? The brotherhood matters. How is my relationship with my brothers and sisters? Are there offenses? Have there been apologies? Do I love our church, do I love Christ’s bride? In light of eternity, church matters!

And fourth, what about my community? Are there people we should talk to? Are there neighbors who are watching how we live our lives and act, in town and at home? If I knew that my life was about to change, would it make a difference in how I relate to my community?

So, life isn’t as much about our experiences and our vacations… it’s about people and relationships, and our own relationship with Christ! We have opportunities on this side—opportunities to heal, to mend, to do the bidding of Jesus. That’s what really matters when we’re faced with crossing over, and life is about to change.

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