Death has its unique way of making us
remember the people whom it has drawn into its inexorable embrace. What is funny
is that what we usually remember are not the great things that a person has
accomplished during his/her life, but the everyday, trivial things that they
do.
A quirk here, a habit there. A manner of speaking. A preference in food or
drink. Books that they read. Music that they listen to. A favorite pastime. A
moment of anger. A slip of the tongue. A furtive glance. A look of sorrow. A
look of happiness. A moment of joy. A careless laughter. An expression of
gratitude.
None of these things of course would make
for a good epitaph. We would generally rather have the great things carved on
our gravestones and markers. After all, we would be remembered for the great
things we have done during our brief time in this world.
But I’ve come to realize, that though the
great things that we do are indeed important, it is what we do when we are NOT
doing great things that people remember about us the most.
And that’s okay. It is because of these
kinds of memories that we know that it is a real
person that we remember and not some fictional character or legend out of a
fairytale or storybook.
But above and beyond this, these memories
are the better indicator of a person’s character than any great thing they
would have done in their lifetimes.
What I mean is this: the great things we do
are oftentimes not a result of choice, but a result of circumstance. We do not
get to choose the times or the places where our great deeds are done. They are
just windows of opportunity that happen to come our way.
But HOW we react and respond when those
opportunities come, THAT is what is attributable to our character. And a
person’s character is not formed or measured in a single event, but in a
lifetime of witnessing what a person does with the time that is given him/her.
As the Messiah observes:
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with
much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with
much.” - (Luke 16:10 NIV)
It is the little things that we do that
ultimately define who we are.
Okay
Chris, that’s all well and good. But why should I care about my character? I
look at the world around me and see that most people do not really care much about
their character. Everyone seems to be intent on living for the moment. People
try to grab as much happiness they can, even at the expense of others.
In the
end, it doesn’t really matter because we’ll all end up dead anyway. And the
dead -- no matter how great -- eventually get forgotten. The people that do
bother to remember them will also eventually die and their memories will also
fade away.
No one
remembers in the end.
So it
is useless to care about my character. What matters is how happy I can be with
my life right now. The moment now is all
that matters.
I shall eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, we all
die.
According
to Scripture, this is NOT the way we should live our lives. And it also tells
us that we SHOULD care about our character. A lot.
Because
Scripture tells us that the Creator Himself will not be judging us on the basis
of what epitaph we had written on our gravestones, or the great things we have
done in our lifetimes. He will judge us according to our character: that hidden
quality that truly defines who we are.
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing
concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” - (Luke 8:17 NIV)
Not even death shall keep us from revealing
who we truly are, and to face judgment for it.
As the John the Evangelist saw in his vision:
“And
I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave
up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in
them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” - (Revelation 20:12-13 NIV)
There will be no respite from, and no
relenting of this judgment. EVERYTHING will be revealed. The accounting is said
to be so thorough and complete, that the people who are being judged will fall
on their knees in horror and shame as every detail of their lives, including
the detestable and shameful things which they thought they had kept secret, are
recounted in the courtroom of Heaven.
Those who would have been found to have
willfully lived their lives in open rebellion to the standards set by the
Creator will be “cast into outer darkness” where their shame will torment them
forever.
Scripture notes truly that:
“It
is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” - (Hebrews 10:31 NIV)
Now we may or may not believe in a Day of
Judgment. We may or may not even believe in a God, or an afterlife, or
eternity.
But one thing we cannot deny is the law of causality.
For every action, there is a
corresponding reaction.
Scripture puts it like this: we reap what we sow.
For contrary to what some of us may want to
believe, we ARE remembered for who we truly are. The consequences of how we
live our lives are imprinted on the very fabric of reality and existence. For the
universe itself is our witness.
One day, the universe will be called to the
stand, and it will testify to all the things we have done, even if we ourselves
do not.
Such is the glory and justice of the Creator
that judgment is inescapable. And He will judge us according to His standard, which is holy and perfect.
For:
“You must be perfect---just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” - (Matthew 5:48 GNB)
Many have fallen in despair, or scoffed in
derision at such a standard, for no human being can ever be perfect. No human
being can ever live up to God’s righteous and holy standard.
“for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” - (Romans 3:23 NIV)
But such is His love, mercy and grace that He Himself
also provided us with a way to become righteous and perfect:
“God
made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the
righteousness of God.” - (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)
The Messiah, who came into the world to give His
life as a ransom for many, is our righteousness and perfection on the Day of
Judgment.
"For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” - (John 3:16 NIV)
And even though our sins stain our past like
blood, the Creator Himself will wash away our transgressions.
“For
I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." - (Hebrews
8:12 NIV)
Such an amazing and wonderful God, who from
the very beginning ordained that those who believe in Him shall receive His
love, mercy and grace throughout eternity.
The relevant question therefore, is not who
will remember us.
The question is, who will remember Him.
Soli
Deo Gloria.
