Digging Deeper

Have you ever seen a U-Haul following a hearse? That sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? And yet we spend a large part of our waking hours either working to have the money to buy “stuff” or actually shopping at a store or online to buy said “stuff.” It must be the hunter-gatherer syndrome to a whole new level.

Lately in the 5^th and 6^th grade class I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time trying to answer the kid’s questions concerning “What happens to me when I die?” They are seriously looking for answers. In fact, they are so serious that we are looking at what is going to happen to all of mankind in the book of Revelations. I have been able to make the point that Darrel tries to make on a regular basis; none of us is guaranteed tomorrow here on earth. We can make all the plans we want, buy all the “stuff” we want, but in the end, we have absolutely no control over how and when we will pass from this life into eternity. What I find exciting is that these kids want to know what will happen. They aren’t running from it, they are trying to understand it as they move closer to God.

And interestingly, the Bible also tells us in Revelations what will happen to our “stuff.” It will all burn. Ashes. Dust. The ultimate fire-sale. A total loss. In my lifetime I have been blessed enough to acquire some physical belongings like most people in the U.S.

But I learned a long time ago that it is easy come, easy go. I grew up in a family where a lot of emphasis was placed on taking care of what you had; not destroying property, being a good steward of anything God blessed you with. My parents were born in and right after the depression. And they are so concerned about making sure when they die that everything they have is split up evenly. There’s just one issue with that; none of us kids care about that. None of us has waited around to get something when they die.

We all know that things aren’t the ultimate source of happiness- relationships are. Specifically, relationships with family and our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Because nothing else will survive the heat. Only people will survive, and so the ultimate question becomes “what have you done with Jesus?” Until you can answer that, you aren’t ready to die. If you aren’t ready to die, you really can’t live life to its fullest as God has intended. So now I ask you; Are you ready to die today? There will be no U-Haul following your hearse. Don’t spend more time buying things for this life than you spend deciding where you’ll spend eternity. That would be the ultimate total loss.

Mark 8:36 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole worked, yet forfeit his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

by Joe Middlestetter