Death
What is death?
Some may think that death is the end. That it is sadness, despair, and darkness. Some would say death is a horrible thing.
Death is the beginning... For we do not truly live until we die.
We are called to die. To give up our lives. That is what believing in Christ is all about.
There is much to be gained in this world, and much to be lost, for this is a time of preparation. We are here to prepare ourselves for eternity. How do we do that? We love; we live to the fullest by loving to the fullest. I want to love more than anything, and through my own sacrifice bring God to others. To give all I have would be awesome, in order to bring others closer to God. For it is not about me, nor any of us, but about Him. The closer we are to Him the better. Death is the absolute closest we can be to God, and through that death comes life. For we cannot enter Heaven without first encountering death. Likewise, we cannot truly experience God's love without first being dead to this world.
To surpass this world and all it has to offer and look toward the next. To begin our preparation for the next life, the eternal life. All that we have is in passing.
I am tired of this world, obviously. I long so badly to see the face of God... to be in His presence forever. But there is definitely a reason for living. Definitely a reason I am here.
I am a sinful person. I struggle constantly with sin, in all sorts of forms. I struggle to be good, and I fail a lot of the time. That is why I am here right now. To become better. To prepare my heart for Christ and His love. His eternal love.
One day, there will be an end to this suffering. There will be an end to this pain. There will be an end to all that we hold dear, to all that we hate, to all that we have... and there will be nothing left, but God. Nothing.
In the end, all else will wither away, so do not cling to it, for it is only in passing that we are here. There will come a time when we can say truly that we are one with God, in all of His glory and splendor. Then and only then will we be free.
So how do we get there?
Through death.
Death is the gateway to the eternal. The most exciting thing about it is that nobody really knows what it will be like to die... what will happen is such an adventure, and one that I anticipate excitedly.
To enter the gate of death early is not good, nor is it what I wish to do. God will lead me there when I am ready to die, so I must be ready for Him to lead me there. It all comes back to preparation. I am here to prepare, and there is a good reason for it. I don't wish to enter into death without being ready, or to do so against God's will. But, this is the beauty of it... He will show us the way. With Him by our side, there is no reason to fear - not even death. When we are steadfast in Christ, we can look death in the eyes without fear or anxiety, for we shall fear nothing in Christ's Love.
Not to say any of this will be easy - not in the least bit. While it won't be easy, it will be worth it. Every second. Which is why I wish to prepare now... I want to be dead to this world to the point where I welcome death. Not in such a way that is filled with sorrow, but complete joy. The word 'death' does not even seem nearly as fitting as does 'life'.
I welcome Life.
Some may think that death is the end. That it is sadness, despair, and darkness. Some would say death is a horrible thing.
Death is the beginning... For we do not truly live until we die.
We are called to die. To give up our lives. That is what believing in Christ is all about.
There is much to be gained in this world, and much to be lost, for this is a time of preparation. We are here to prepare ourselves for eternity. How do we do that? We love; we live to the fullest by loving to the fullest. I want to love more than anything, and through my own sacrifice bring God to others. To give all I have would be awesome, in order to bring others closer to God. For it is not about me, nor any of us, but about Him. The closer we are to Him the better. Death is the absolute closest we can be to God, and through that death comes life. For we cannot enter Heaven without first encountering death. Likewise, we cannot truly experience God's love without first being dead to this world.
To surpass this world and all it has to offer and look toward the next. To begin our preparation for the next life, the eternal life. All that we have is in passing.
I am tired of this world, obviously. I long so badly to see the face of God... to be in His presence forever. But there is definitely a reason for living. Definitely a reason I am here.
I am a sinful person. I struggle constantly with sin, in all sorts of forms. I struggle to be good, and I fail a lot of the time. That is why I am here right now. To become better. To prepare my heart for Christ and His love. His eternal love.
One day, there will be an end to this suffering. There will be an end to this pain. There will be an end to all that we hold dear, to all that we hate, to all that we have... and there will be nothing left, but God. Nothing.
In the end, all else will wither away, so do not cling to it, for it is only in passing that we are here. There will come a time when we can say truly that we are one with God, in all of His glory and splendor. Then and only then will we be free.
So how do we get there?
Through death.
Death is the gateway to the eternal. The most exciting thing about it is that nobody really knows what it will be like to die... what will happen is such an adventure, and one that I anticipate excitedly.
To enter the gate of death early is not good, nor is it what I wish to do. God will lead me there when I am ready to die, so I must be ready for Him to lead me there. It all comes back to preparation. I am here to prepare, and there is a good reason for it. I don't wish to enter into death without being ready, or to do so against God's will. But, this is the beauty of it... He will show us the way. With Him by our side, there is no reason to fear - not even death. When we are steadfast in Christ, we can look death in the eyes without fear or anxiety, for we shall fear nothing in Christ's Love.
Not to say any of this will be easy - not in the least bit. While it won't be easy, it will be worth it. Every second. Which is why I wish to prepare now... I want to be dead to this world to the point where I welcome death. Not in such a way that is filled with sorrow, but complete joy. The word 'death' does not even seem nearly as fitting as does 'life'.
I welcome Life.