November 12, 2021
My friend, Rob Thorpe, sent me a blog he wrote on the death of his father-in-law. He was struck when the funeral director said to them, "Now what four words do you want on his grave-marker?" This particular gravestone, aside from the name and dates, only allowed four words to sum up an entire life.
In fact, Rob said, the sobering realization for him was that when you die you don’t get to decide this summation of your life—those closest to you do! How they perceive your whole life is summed up in just a few words.
DESCRIBING OTHERS
Paul writes greetings to the church in Rome and gives us a quick summary of multiple friends in the closing chapter of Romans. Notice the synopsis of their lives as he speaks of them.
(Romans 16:1-13)
YOUR LEGACY
My mother’s tombstone carries seven words: “Jesus is all the world to me.” My siblings and I felt no words could better describe her than that line from the old hymn.
If those around you described you in a phrase, what would they say? Take a moment and prayerfully write down what you hope they would say, and then ask Christ to give you grace to fulfill that description for the glory of God.
Father, how do You want my legacy to read? Would you help me see your epitaph for me? And then, Creator and Designer, would you give me grace to live up to what You desire?
March 27, 2025
When our faith is sufficient to lead us to actually follow God’s plan, we will always see that it is “good, acceptable, and perfect.” These words, as always, are important.
March 11, 2025
God knows what He is about. Always include in your request the greatest prayer—the prayer of surrender. “Lord, Your will be done.” This is the prayer, when humbly prayed, that will always be answered and yield the most valuable result from the God who loves us best ... even if the answer is hard.
March 05, 2025
Every created man or woman must make their choice. What will you do with God? Will you embrace or reject Him? Draw near or run away? Trust and serve Him or doubt God and serve yourself? This foundational choice determines everything.