The Value of Life

The mother of my dear friend died the other morning.
Her obituary said that she went home to be with her Lord and Savior.
That is true!

There is such comfort when a believer, in Christ, dies.
There is no wondering…no uncertainty.
There is assurance.
Such a wonderful word!

Assurance is defined as a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a certainty about something.

We are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 5:8)

My friend is certain her mother is home with the Lord.
Even though she grieves, and she will miss her mother terribly, she has hope.
She WILL see her mother again.

It is very sad to go to a funeral of a person who did not have that hope.
There is confusion…talk of good works and deeds done.
There is talk of praying for their soul…talk of them waiting for their heavenly home.
There is a palpable uncertainty.
There is no assurance.

My friend’s mother trusted in Jesus alone for salvation.
She knew there was nothing she could do that would earn her entrance into heaven.
Jesus did it all…on her behalf.
There is such freedom in that!

Instead of living your life, wondering if you are good enough…wondering if you have done enough…you live your life in gratitude for the ONE who is Good…the perfect One who died in your place…the Savior who did it all!

My friend’s mother knew that truth.
She taught her two daughters well…and grounded them in God’s Word and promises.

My friend loved her mother and honored her…in her life and in her death.
Her mother never wanted to be put in a nursing home…and she never was.
She was cared for lovingly and with great joy…in her own home.

I visited my friend this morning…at her mother’s home.
Her mother had her own little house…right across the street from her daughter.
She was 93 years old and still vibrant with a clear, sharp mind.

My friend reminisced about their pie baking mornings.
Her mother would peel and slice the apples and my friend would make the pie crust.
Teamwork!
Love!

I saw her lovely living room…with the hospital bed in the corner.
Not a sad place!
A very alive place!
Holy Ground!

I saw the chair by the bed and knew that a CD player was nearby.
Her mother loved hymns…so that is the music that surrounded her.
Music that escorted her Home.

I saw a home that exuded a culture of life.
In a world that exudes a culture of death…it was a breath of fresh air!

God is the Giver of life.
God determines when we are born and when we die.

The oldest lie…that twisted devilish desire…is to be like God!
We decide what is best.
We are the owners of our body.
We are in control.

The home I visited this morning is an antithesis of the worldview that surrounds us.
Life!
Value!
Honor!

Going Home when God says so.

A culture of death operates on the premise that people are expendable.
A culture of death tolerates only those who actively contribute to the betterment of society.
A culture of death sees little value in the unborn, or the elderly, or the sick.
A culture of death has little compassion…much utilitarianism…has no room for God.

A culture of life sees all people as made in the image of God, their Creator.
A culture of life sees the uniqueness of each person’s gifts as the way to bless society.
A culture of life sees value and worth in everyone…from the cradle to the grave.
A culture of life is compassionate, loving…has God at the center.

We have our flowery words to describe the heinous things we are allowing.
We have reasons and rationalizations to explain it all away.
We are making the unacceptable…acceptable.

Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct?
No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. (Jeremiah 6:15)

I am so thankful for my morning with my friend.
I am so thankful for the life that was all around me.
I carried that with me throughout my day.

I rejoiced!

It is not out of our grasp!
We can regain a culture of life…if we put God back in the center…instead of ourselves.
He has always been on His Throne…Sovereign…Holy.
It’s just that we forgot!

We need to remember.
We need to celebrate LIFE!
No one is expendable.
Everyone has value.

God is in the habit of redeeming the worst of us…which is ALL of us!
No one is beyond His reach…beyond His grasp.

What if someone else decided they knew better?
What if someone decided that our life had no meaning, or value, or worth?
Imagine the ripple effect of that decision.

Our spouses would not have us with them.
Our children would never have been born.
There would be a terrible void…a precious life erased.

Life is fragile and sacred.
It is to be cherished.

God will never bless a culture of death.
It is arrogant to think we can get away with it.
We cannot just turn our heads away…and pretend that we don’t see.

It’s time to say…Enough!

 

 

2 responses to “The Value of Life”

1. Dear Gina,
   Thank you. Right on target. With each word, each deed, each decision, each moment may we turn from our wicked way and follow the Truth. He who is Life will saturate all He owns. We need to call on Him to embolden us and open our eyes to Whose story life is all about.

   Reply

   • Michelle,
     I pray that this may be the beginning of us firmly…and finally saying…ENOUGH!
     That we may decidedly turn away from the lie…and turn to the Truth that WILL set us free.
     Thank you, friend.
     Gina

     Reply