Living a Life that Counts

Have you ever just sat and meditated on just how short life really is? Or have you really sat and believed that your life was just a "small" vapor on this earth as James says? "Life is short and eternity is long. Very long. It is a long time to regret a wasted life." -John Piper. Which brings up the interesting question that Piper proposes, is there regret in heaven?

I know that Revelation says that he will wipe every tear from every eye, but what about tears of joy. The joy that comes from realizing that despite all of the opportunities we wasted to proclaim Jesus's Holy Name and all the times we slapped God in the face with our sin, that God forgives us by his GRACE and that we are blessed with eternal life with Him. I think that we will have to remember our past lives here on earth, and the sin that encompassed those lives, or we wouldn't be able to completely realize the sweetness of the grace and mercy that Jesus Christ has given us. How can we live eternally without knowing completely of the beautiful power of the cross. It would make no sense to know Grace without remembering why we received it in the first place.

It is hard for me to comprehend how we will remember all of our past wrongs, and the beautiful saving grace that Christ did for us on the cross, and not feel a strong sense of regretful joy. The more that we remember how short we came on earth, the stronger our joy will be in the grace that Jesus offers. So by no means will regret ruin heaven or our experience of it, it is just another way to enhance our joy and thankfulness for our Savior Jesus Christ.


All of this said it makes me want to live this small vapor of a life to the fullest. I don't want to throw away this one life that God has given me, and have to spend an eternity looking back on it. Every person that enters my office, I want to make sure they know about my Lord Jesus Christ. Every homeless person I meet on the street, I want to bless them with the Good News of Jesus Christ and some money in their pocket. Everywhere we look there is an opportunity to share Jesus Christ. Whether it be monetarily, spending time at a shelter, building a house with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering with Hospice, leaving family and friends to start a medical mission in rural Africa, or simply buying a friends coffee and loving on them, God presents opportunities in our path everyday to proclaim His great name. And I for one don't want to have to go to heaven someday and look back and regret not doing more for Jesus in my short vapor like life.

Piper says it the best. He writes, "But God will hold us accountable in the age to come not for what others have done. He will call us to account for what blood-brought hope freed us to do for others in the name of Christ. We will give joyful and tearful thanks in that day for the grace that covered our sin and the grace that caused our love."

-Lance