I've always thought I wanted to be those hardcore missionary martyrs that when they get tortured or get their head chopped off, they have an amazing testimony and say some beautiful words right before they die that inspire others. I've always thought if I was ever in that situation I would be brave and daring. For some reason I've always thought that I wanted to die for Jesus in a tragic courageous way. Because of his sacrifice for me on the cross. But I was thinking about all these morbid death things and suddenly a phrase popped into my head. I don't care how you die. I care how you lived. Wow. I've just always thought about death and how I wanted to be a famous last words person, like these people. Famous Last Words“Weep not for me, but for yourselves. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the mediation of His blessed Son, receives me, though a sinner. We shall meet to sing the new song, and remain everlastingly happy.” - John Bunyan “My affections are so much in heaven that I can leave you all without a regret; yet I do not love you less, but God more.” - William Wilberforce “If it were God’s will to raise me up [from this sickbed], I should like to preach from the text, John 3:16. Praise be to the Lord.” - Henry Moorhouse “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” - Charles Dickens “I shall be satisfied with Thy likeness. Satisfied!” - Charles Wesley “I am going into eternity; and it is sweet to me to think of eternity; the endlessness of it makes it sweet. But oh! What shall I say of the future of the wicked! The thought is too dreadful!” - David Brainerd “I have pain; but I have peace, I have peace!” - Richard Baxter “I go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school. I feel so strong in Christ.” - Adoniram Judson “See in what peace a Christian can die.” - Joseph Addison “Dwight L Moody awoke from sleep shortly before he died and said; “Earth recedes. Heaven opens before me. If this is death, it is sweet! There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.” And Moody’s son said, “No, no, Father. You’re dreaming.” And Moody replied, “I am not dreaming. I have been within the gates. This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! It is glorious!” “I am ready to die for my Lord that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.” - Thomas a Becket "If God be your partner, make your plans large." - DL Moody "Our God is the God from whom cometh salvation. God is the Lord by whom we escape death." -Martin Luther. "Lord lay not this sin to their charge." - Stephen, a martyr stoned for his beliefs "IT IS FINISHED!" - Jesus These people are so inspiring. If I was ever in their situation, I would want to die like them. But I need to live, first. Living for ChristLiving is important because it is when we prepare for death, and the after death life. "When you haven't prayed all your life, it's no use at the last moment!" - Italo Svevo "When I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and I am unprepared to die." -Cesare Borgia. It's important to prepare for eternity, to live for Christ and in Christ. Death isn't the main priority. "Live in Christ, die in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death." - John Knox “The waters are rising, but so am I. I am not going under, but over. Do not be concerned about dying; go on living well, the dying will be right.” - Catherine Booth Sometimes Dying Doesn't Mean Actually DyingPaul said 'To live is Christ, to die is gain." I always only thought about the dying part, and how we don't have to be scared of death because there is eternity ahead. But what about the living part? Was I just thinking about being brave in death and forgetting about being brave in life? I was forgetting about how Paul sacrificed his actual alive-ness too. He did everything FOR Jesus, his motivation, sustainer, comfort, and friend. Sometimes dying doesn't mean actually getting your head sliced off with a guillotine (like in the awesome Left Behind series - they used to be some of my favorite books) or plastered to a cross. Dying daily means dying TO yourself and living FOR Christ. Sacrificing your will for his. Sacrificing my desires for his perfect plan. Life is actually short, and we are not going to be in this world forever. It seems hard and long and frustrating. But living for Christ includes all the little small hard things that make it so hard: school, relationships, finances, work. Though this world is a tragic mess. This blog post was actually supposed to be different. It started out as just this dead people's famous last words post, and I started adding and adding and stuff kept popping in my head from sermons or Scripture or songs. It turned into this. That's the way it usually works, doesn't it? For me it does, anyway. I'd like to pop in here and add something else: my favorite song. Have I ever told you about that? No? Well here it is, sung by some random person. We sang this for revival last year right before we left for Mexico and it really hit me deep down inside. It's turned into the core of my blog post! You don't even have to read these random words I'm frantically typing on my keyboard (AGAIN because something happened and it all deleted.) Just listen. "When you died and rose again, You healed the curse of all my sin You forgave me, made me new. Jesus I will live for you. Praise you. I will praise you. Jesus you're the way the life the truth. I will praise you. Not my will but only yours. Jesus you are my Lord. Here's my life for you to use. Jesus I will live for you. This word will try to wear me down. But Jesus I am heaven-bound. As long as I'm just passing through, Jesus I will live for you." I don't want to just die for Jesus, for my end to be beautiful. I want to live for Jesus. He turns my messy selfish life into his beautiful work. He's what I need. You know what? I want my motto to be this, my "famous last words" reputation.
That I lived for Jesus.
2 Comments
Kayla Lawrence
2/26/2017 03:02:46 pm
I hear you! I had something like that mindset too once--that as a Christian I would have to die "heroically". Well, I was wrong. That makes two of us looking for how to live for Christ now.
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Karissa
3/2/2017 06:22:07 am
I'm so glad!! :) Thank you for reading.
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about the authorAs a 21 year old aspiring teacher, Karissa loves to write, travel, play piano, and read. Many creative things have her heart. archives
November 2021
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