Run This Race

It’s been a while since my last post and a lot has changed. I lost my mom but gained a truer sense of what life is really about. Equally important, I learned what life is not about. Nothing sharpens your perspective like watching someone in their final moments:

They aren’t concern about what happened at work or what bills are due. They aren’t concern about what to wear or even what to eat.  

In those final moments the only thing of importance is your relationship with God. That’s why my mom spent much of her life trying to reach out to people. She wanted them to cut through the clutter of life and focus on what really matters. So in her honor I’ll begin a series of posts that will be straight forward, cut to the chase on several key issues. One issue that I’ll touch on briefly today is this idea that being a good person and doing good deeds will get you to heaven. 

Too many people are buying into this false premise. Of course, part of our Christian walk is to help others which is why the Bible teaches faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17). However, Jesus tells us plainly that if we don’t follow God’s will, we are workers of lawlessness (Matt 7:21-22). His will is for us to follow his son for “no one comes to the Father except through me,”

‭‭(John‬ ‭14:6‬). ‬‬It doesn’t matter how good a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, or anyone else is, Jesus is the only way. You must be born again (John 3:3). Which brings me back to my mom.

To my joy and surprise in her final moments she laid there with a big smile on her face. She looked as happy as a kid in a candy store. She died knowing she could tell her Father “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,”

‭‭(2 Tim ‭4:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬). Her bright smile was of a daughter who obeyed  her Father and was ready to receive her reward (John 14:2-4). With her passing I’m left to continue my own race. A race I will  run so that when my time comes, I can leave this world with same smile as mom. 

Think about it.