I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. Psalm 86:12 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. John 3:16-17 (ESV)
For the past few days, many people around the world have paid their respects and mourned the death of Elizabeth II, Queen of England. It was remarkable reviewing the in-depth and elaborate plans that went into the funeral arrangements; arrangements that had been in place for many decades. Global business chains were closed on the day of her funeral, and it was declared a national holiday. Around the world, many countries were flying their flags at half-staff in her honor. As I viewed a few minutes of some of the ceremonies myself, it occurred to me, do we give that much care and attention to God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?
I am not seeking to interrupt or take away from anyone’s mourning period for the Queen. I simply was fascinated by the love, commitment, and duty, individuals have for this Sovereign, who despite her position, cannot save herself. She, along with us all, needs a Savior in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Yes, she wielded a lot of power and influence while she was here but, she was not able to prolong her life, save herself for eternity, or in addition, save any of her loyal subjects.
The time and effort we who are still alive give to other individuals, can be wonderful however, are we giving the same amount of time and attention to God? Are we pouring our hearts into developing a close relationship with Him? Are we witnessing and encouraging others also to give their lives to God? Teaching them how to develop a close relationship with Him?
Because, when it’s all said and done in life, our belief, our faith, and our relationship with God, will be needed in order to spend eternity with Him. Our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, along with His death on the crucifix, allows our sins to be forgiven and gives us direct access to God the Father. No human being, despite their important titles, position and money, will be able to guarantee any of us eternal life once we die.
As those around the world say goodbye to famous individuals as well as loved ones closer to home, may we focus on the fact that our time on Earth is finite. We do not have control of our lifespan; we do not know how much longer we will be on this earth. But what we do know is this, while we are here, we must seek daily to align our lives with God and His principles. We are not to keep the knowledge of His love and His saving grace to ourselves but, to go out and share it with others.
May we put as much effort, excitement, and determination into spreading God’s gospel throughout the world, as we do celebrate famous individuals and their life achievements. Of course, there is nothing wrong as we look to memorialize another person’s life and achievements. But when it’s time to turn to Godly matters, may we be just as excited and enthusiastic.
Blessings,
Angélique
To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com