Before We Make the List

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶ For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more. –Psalms 103:15-16 (Amp)

Being a part of a large church has a lot of advantages! We can do more, buy more, impact our communities more for Jesus, etc. In addition to all the blessings,  a big church also brings a greater awareness of how fast tragedy can strike. Our prayer chain leader sends out an average of 20 prayer request e-mails a day.  The requests vary in nature; someone may be requesting guidance for a job situation while someone else is praying for the salvation of their friends or family members. Often times though, the requests are for prayers of healing for those who are suffering from ailments such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer disease, etc. Then come the prayer requests for the families who lost their loved ones through such ailments, or worse yet, through a tragic accident that caught us all off guard.

Recently, while reviewing the prayer requests, I realized that unless Jesus Christ returns for His church beforehand, my name will eventually be added to the list of those who have passed away. Ironically, the notion was not that of a gloomy nature but more of a peaceful awareness that our time on earth is short. As I was thinking about these things, another scripture came to mind…

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you. –John 15:16 (KJV)

I know I have had a lot of good intentions and made specific goals that I would like to accomplish, but this sudden awareness has caused me to ask, “If I were to die today, have I produced the type of fruit that will remain when I’m gone?”…”Would I leave families and people behind who’s lives have been changed forever because I led them to Christ?”… “Would the gospel of Christ still be spread through something that I was privileged to establish during my time on the earth?”

What about you? Have you been putting off doing things that you know the Lord would have you do? Have you been waiting for years (if not decades) for the “right moment” to witness to your neighbor? Is there a ministry or a cause that you know your supposed to be a part of, but have yet to get involved? Don’t wait until your name is etched on “the list” before you realize that time has passed you by. Consider this the season in your life to “go and bring forth fruit”.