With Eternity in View
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. - (Acts 20:24)
Awhile back, I had a candid conversation with Billy Graham about heaven. I was speaking at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, so one afternoon we had lunch together. He asked me what I was speaking on, and I told him that I was talking about heaven.
He said, “Tell me what you are going to say.”
So I gave him a condensed version of my sermon on what the Bible teaches about heaven. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t heard these things before, but he listened with rapt attention. He and I have something in common: we both have someone close to us in heaven. His wife, Ruth, is in heaven. And my son Christopher is in heaven. When someone you love is in heaven, you feel as though you are tethered to it. You think about heaven more than you ever did before. You see the frailty of life, and eternity becomes more tangible and significant.
In his book, Nearing Home, Billy Graham writes about aging: “All my life I was taught how to die as a Christian, but no one ever taught me how I ought to live in the years before I die. I wish they had because I am an old man now, and believe me, it’s not easy.”
It’s important that we understand our times are in God’s hands. Our lives are a gift to us from God. God decides when your life starts. God decides when it stops. That is why the apostle Paul said, “But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). Paul summed up what really mattered in his life.
Your life is a gift from God. Are you living it for His glory?
Copyright © 2013 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
SPECIAL OFFER
The Proverbs 31 Calendar by Harvest Ministries will be sent to you in appreciation for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month.
“The word virtue speaks of moral excellence, strength of character, and righteousness in every aspect of life. A women of virtue is a rare and valuable gem in today’s society.” —Greg
The Proverbs 31 Calendar is an encouraging resource to women of all ages who desire to live a life of virtue. As you flip through the calendar’s pages, reflect and be inspired by the godly attributes of a virtuous woman.
You will receive the Proverbs 31 Calendar in thanks for your gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.