Does Life Get In The Way Of Living?

I suppose that it depends upon your current spiritual state.

If you currently walk with the Lord in daily communion with Christ, you might consider Paul’s statement. He declared death far better, to be everlasting with Christ.

Paul further declared,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (1)

One of the great saints of Christianity, A. W. Tozer, offers his insights on this apparently simply yet weighty question. His comments deserve reflection by you and me.

“For years I have made a practice of writing many of my earnest prayers to God in a little book–a book now well worn. I still turn often to the petitions I recorded in that book. I remind God often of what my prayers have been.

One prayer in the book–and God knows it well by this time, for I pray it often–goes like this:

‘Oh God, Let me die rather than to go on day by day living wrong. I do not want to become a careless, fleshly old man. I want to be right so that I can die right. Lord, I do not want my life to be extended if it would mean that I should cease to live right and fail in my mission to glorify You all of my days!…’

As you will recall from Second Kings 20, the Lord gave Hezekiah a 15-year extension of life. Restored to health and vigor, Hezekiah disgraced himself and dishonored God before he died and was buried.

I would not want an extra 15 years in which to backslide and dishonor my Lord. I would rather go home right now than to live on–if living on was to be a waste of God’s time and my own! Jesus Is Victor!

‘Please, Father, help me to finish well. Amen.’” (2)

References

1. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
2. You can view this article at the following location on the internet: http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=16500