Living this life FOR this life is the surest way to lose it all. Death comes to all, and the only question that matters is this "Are you found in Jesus Christ?" This is the great divide of all mankind. But for those who are found in Him, another question arises from the first; what was the focus of our lives? Will we stand in the great judgement and be found guilty of living only to self? Only to our fleshly desires? Only to serve the stuff of this world? Or will we be measured and found to be more like Him? Will the stamp of our Lord be imprinted upon our soul, upon our life? Will the testimony of what we produced with what time we were given show that we used it to His advantage? Jesus reminds us that this life will end, but that in ending it is capable of producing so much more than we could ever have thought possible. Rather than seeking to avoid our death, we are called to follow our Lord, to do what He tells us to do and in that life of obedience we prepare for our death so that when it comes, we find joy in the midst of the sorrow. It is true that sorrow and joy go ever hand in hand; for while sorrow is the cup of those who remain, joy is the wine that fills that cup to overflowing when we see the face of our Lord. Oh my beloved, do not seek to keep this life for yourself! Instead, seek to use it, to INVEST it in eternity, for when you do that you will find that God Himself honors you when you are, at last, truly home!