Well, the title of this one may be confusing but Francis was pointing to that fact that none of us knows when death will come...or Christ for that matter. We need to live every moment as though our life could end right then. This means live every moment to the glory of God.
Some things I highlighted from the chapter include his thoughts on people like my self, "worriers." Francis says of himself, "I was the worrying kind. I'm a problem solver, so I have to focus on things that need fixing." If you've ever read my other blog, you'd see that pretty much could be the mission statement of my writing there. Francis points to verses like Philippians 4:4-6, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Francis also says, "Both worry and stress reek of arrogance." Stuart pointed me to Matthew 6:27, "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"
Francis points to the fact that we are often "quick to forget God" when "life is all about God and not about me at all." Our existence is not even equal to his description of our "two-fifths of a second" compare to God's eternal existence. God has been forever. "The point of your life is to point to Him (God). God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His....His world, His gift."
Francis also quotes a essay from a young girl who ended up passing away at a young age. She wrote the essay at around twelve years old, but her understanding of our purpose on earth was far better than mine. I even felt a little emotional thinking about my son and the example I am to him. She wrote, "I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll be happy. I'll brighten up. I will be more joyful than I have ever been. I will be kind to others. I will loosen up. I will tell others about Christ." Francis spoke at the little girl's funeral and witnessed people who were affected by her little life. Later, Francis writes, "Sadly, many people die while living selfishly. Their funerals are filled by individuals who stretch the truth in order to create a semblance of a meaningful life." Was he talking directly to me? It felt like it. Who is getting up at my funeral and lying about my meaningful life?
Chapter 2 closes with a strong reminder for me. "Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God...nothing matters except out King and God."
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