Out--to serve

   

A church we passed by today in a little town just outside of Providence, RI.  The sign over the door reads: "Gathered 1643."

Wow, that's an old church!  I also loved the signs on the parking lot right in front of the church, "In--to worship" and "Out--to serve."  Thanks for the reminder, Lord.  Forgive us for far too often receiving, and receiving from You and Your Word but then failing to take that infilling with which You have blessed us and serving and serving. 

 We are not saved to be secure in our holy huddle... we are saved to serve and pour out our lives with joyful abandon. 

 If we could just live with the end in mind--with the reminder that our lives on this planet are but a vapor and we have all of eternity stretching endlessly before us--I know we would live differently.  Live with less fear and more faith.  Live with less selfishness and more service.  Live with less hoarding of our spiritual resources and more happily sharing with the world the treasures with which Christ has blessed us.  Live with less greed and more gratitude.  Live with less comparing and more consecrating.  

And what, exactly, is preventing us from starting now?

These are the words of Leonard Ravenhill (1907-1994), a fiery British preacher and respected authority on revival, as he wrote about the life of his dear friend, Keith Green:

"I'm in my 83rd year, but it doesn't necessarily mean I'm wiser or stronger.  It doesn't mean I've done more.  It's not the stretch of life that matters.  It's the depth of life.  It's not how long we live.  It's how we live.  Keith was a man who seemed to live on the edge of eternity.  And he was ready to step into it.    It can truly be said of Keith that 'He being dead, yet speaketh.'  And he will speak right on to generations beyond us.  I wish we had ten thousand people like him.  I pray that many will catch a vision from his life--trust and obey."

Lord, help us to catch that vision of what it means to live each day for Christ, as if this day might be our last opportunity to share His love, spread His grace, and send out the message of His glorious gift of salvation.  For each of us, whether we recognize it or not, truly do live upon the lip of eternity.  

If this day is our last, what would we do differently?  Who would we forgive?  How would we share our love?  Who would we tell about Christ?  What trivialities would we stop worrying or fussing about?  And what things of ultimate importance would actually consume our thoughts?  

Maybe it's time to start now.  

Only one life; twill soon be past.  Only what's done for Jesus will last.  To God be the glory.