“What should a believer do before he dies?”
Some denominations prescribe rituals to be administered by
the church in a man or woman’s final moments on earth, and perhaps this week’s
question is coming from someone with that sort of ecclesiastical background.
If religious routines are what the dying are calling for, we
would not wish to rob them of their comfort, but I should probably point
out that we do not find any commands at all about “last rites” in our Bibles.
The Christian is neither obligated to perform them nor to have them performed. It
may even be that the practice encourages a false sense of security about one’s relationship
to Christ and one’s eternal destiny.
That would be very unfortunate indeed. In any case, it’s not
the sort of preparation we are going to discuss today.
Death may come in the blink of an eyelash. Those who have not prepared for eternity may find themselves with no
opportunity to settle their affairs. Thankfully, certain things may be taken care of today; the Christian does not have to wait until last minute.
Here are four things every believer should do
before he or she goes to meet the Lord:
1. Consider Our Reward
Some people think that expecting and working toward a reward
is a bit mercenary. I cannot really help that, and I won’t waste a
lot of time defending the concept. The reality is that the Bible repeatedly
holds out the prospect of eternal reward as an incentive to obedience and holy
living. It starts with Abraham, to whom God said, “I am your shield, your reward
shall be very great.” Much of that reward was earthly, but the New Testament speaks
repeatedly of a reward for the servants of God in
heaven, one that is “imperishable”,
“undefiled”
and “unfading”,
and encourages us to strive to accumulate a full measure of that reward, and
not lose it.
Believers who have not already done so need to consider the
prospect of eternal reward and re-order our lives with God’s pleasure in view.
If you have not begun to do that yet, the time to start is now. It’s
significantly more important than leaving a will.
2. Leave Our Affairs Orderly
Let me be clear: writing a will is not a bad idea, unless
you like the prospect of lawyers and bureaucrats taking the lion’s share of
your assets from those you would prefer to leave them to. Part of a believer’s
testimony to the world is the way he goes out of it. Making and maintaining a
will says you have come to grips with the reality that “all
flesh is grass” and are preparing to exit this world in an orderly way,
with dignity rather than denial. Jesus taught that it is the fool
who hoards good things for himself, always assuming he will be granted the opportunity
to consume them. The book of Proverbs says, “A good man leaves
an inheritance to his children’s children.” That doesn’t mean that every
Christian should obsess about how much he will have in his bank account when he
dies, but it does mean taking stock of the fruit God has given us and
acknowledging our families and extended families with care and consideration in
the final arrangements we make.
Most of all, we don’t want to leave behind a mess for our
relatives to clean up. That’s never a good look.
3. Settle Our Issues
“Do
not let the sun go down upon your anger,” wrote the apostle Paul, and “If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live
peaceably with all.” And yet far too many Christians live
with bitterness about perceived slights or else allow
grudges to be carried against them without making any serious attempt to
resolve them in this life. The time to settle our issues with others is in the
here and now, especially when those others are family members and/or fellow
believers. The alternative is to carry those interpersonal conflicts into the
presence of the Lord to
be arbitrated at the judgment seat. That is not how he wants them handled.
4. Say Everything That Needs Saying
Christians believe our loved ones in Christ go
directly to be with him, and have at least some
awareness of what may be happening here in their absence. Unfortunately,
neither history nor scripture suggest they are able to communicate with us from
the spirit realm.
This being the case, if you have things you have never said
to your loved ones that would be of benefit to them, the time to clear the deck
is now. “Better is open rebuke than hidden
love.” How many times do you hear the story about the child whose father
never told him he loved him or was proud of him? Paul writes to the Corinthians
and calls them “restricted
in your own affections” in contrast to the apostle and his co-workers, who
could say, “Our heart is wide
open.” The obvious conclusion: the way for the Christian to be with his
fellow believers is open-hearted and expressive, not reserved and distant.
When I would visit my father in the months before he went to
be with the Lord, he would often ask if there was anything we needed to clear up
between us ... not any great sin or grudge, but simply anything that was
unclear or unsatisfying in our relationship. The last time I saw him, he
was unconscious, and never regained consciousness while I was there.
I am happy to say that nothing more had needed to be exchanged between us
at that point. He knew how much I love and appreciate him, and there was
not a scintilla of reserve or resentment between us.
If you have something on your heart that needs to be said,
say it now. You may not get the chance otherwise.
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