“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the GOOD of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” -Romans 8:28
Life Lessons
There is something about going to funerals that really give us (or should) perspective on life. I know everytime I attend one, I really take time to reflect on life and what is important. Through the loss of my mom and seeing the loss of other loved ones, I keep coming back to these basic, yet important lessons about life:
1.) Nobody Escapes Death
2.) Life is Short
3.) You don’t get to do this Over Again – Live your life on purpose… intentionally
4.) Too many times we wait to speak well of someone until their funeral – they never get to hear what they meant to us. (Encourage people every chance you get, people in your life should know what they mean to you.)
5.) People Will Summarize Your Life in One Sentence – What do you want said of your life? Start living your life so people know what to say at your funeral.
6.) We need to Enjoy the Journey – We take so much of our lives for granted . . . learn to appreciate the small things
7.) “Nobody on their Death Bed ever said, “I wish I spent more time in the office” – God, family, friends, and people are what matter in life.
8.) Your Life Matters – I’ve been to funerals where thousands showed up and others where 3 people showed up. Regardless of the numbers, everybody matters to somebody. When you recognize that – you’ll recognize you can make a difference in someones life, and hopefully starting living a life focused on adding value to others.
9.) God is Big, God is Good, God is Life, God is Love, God is Everything – I love people who say they don’t believe in God. If you held a gun to somebody’s head and they knew their life was about to end, they’d believe in God pretty quick. No matter how hard life is, no matter what the circumstances, the greatest life lesson we can ever learn is that God loves us. He cares about us, He works all things out for our good, He is everything and we need to pursue Him with all of our hearts.
I hope this series helped you if you’re going through the heartache of losing a loved one. I feel your pain, and I’m here to tell you that there is a God that loves you and understands your pain as well. He wants to be a part of your life and part of your healing process. Don’t run from Him, run to Him – I promise you’ll find peace and joy in Him and your life will never be the same.
One Response
Great series. You definitely put your heart out there. That is an admirable thing.
I don't know about this thought though:
"I love people who say they don’t believe in God. If you held a gun to somebody’s head and they knew their life was about to end, they’d believe in God pretty quick."
I know people that were not born into religion, not schooled in religion every Sunday, nor accepted it later on in life. They believe in what they believe as strongly as you believe in what you believe. This statement may apply to people that were born into religion, were schooled in religion as a child, rejected it as a young adult and then hedged their bets so to speak on their death bed, but certainly doesn't apply to all people that do not believe in God (in whatever form).
I'm not commentating to debate about believers and non-believers, just merely pointing out that there are multiple points of views on every topic. You know what you believe, but don't assume you also know what others believe, how committed they are or how they will react to stimuli.
Otherwise, great stuff. Keep up the good work, speaking your mind and doing the right things!