And we are...until we have to manage time, pay a bill or concern ourselves with something so mundane and earthly as...you name it...anything we deal with daily. So then, how should we live?
The world I came back to had not changed. I had changed. Most profoundly, I live without fear of death. I live with a new love and appreciation for the moment, for the present. Ironically I have self diagnosed early dementia. My short term memory is virtually gone. I keep a daily calendar not so much to remind me what to do today, but to remind me what I did yesterday. Some days I am shocked and amazed at what I have forgotten. I write everything down and then try to remember where I wrote it.
On a personal note, I am amazed at how easy I feel anger, resentment or anxiety over trivial matters. These are emotions I thought would be banished forever. I am definitely not perfected. Almost every day I feel pain for something stupid I have done or almost done that day. So I am not living in a utopia. I am right here with you.
At first, my experience brought me much closer to a "universalism" position than I was comfortable with. But I am comfortable. (Read on, you will find my 3 answers to universalism, borrowed from Ben Johnson) So, while I still feel an overwhelming desire to evangelize, share the gospel and love people for Christ, I no longer have a need to argue, fight or force people to accept my/His gospel. I believe they have a Friend in their corner. I live with the hope they will be given a last opportunity to accept or deny the gospel by One more capable than me as the Evangelist.
It answered my fears for the people in the world who never heard of Jesus? Didn't you somehow secretly hope He would give them a break?
The love and grace of God should make us better missionaries and evangelists, not less. So then, how should we live? We should live with thankfulness for grace. And we/you should:
1. Accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
2. Invite others in our circle of influence to know Him, too.
3. Study our Bible and study with other Christians so we can know the truth of God's Word.
4. Invite others in our circle of influence to know Him, too.
5. Live as though today was your last day on earth.
6. Invite others in your circle of influence to know Him, too.
7. Let everyone you meet today know that you know God and have experienced His grace.
8. Invite others in your circle.....you get the point.
There is an old saying,
"We are not ready to live until we are ready to die".Likewise, we are not ready to die until we are satisfied we have given life our best. So how should we then live? Live as though today was your last day on earth. Don't be sparing with "I love you", or "You are the best". Imagine you are in heaven and yesterday was your last day on earth. What did you forget to say or do?
So shall you live!
