I attended a significant event last week – a funeral service for one who left a powerful Christian witness behind her when she moved away from this world to the Father’s house. In our pilgrim journey we come across believers who leave their mark on us as individuals and as congregations, and we recognise the great privilege that was given to us by God in allowing us to interact with those experiencing his sanctifying grace. She was certainly that kind of person to hundreds, if not many more, of the Lord’s people who had experienced her kindness and encouragement on numerous occasions.
Inevitably, we will all be missed by family and friends. But what about the response from others? Sometimes, we hear the expression, ‘Live so as to be missed.’ The implication is that it is possible for persons to live in such a way that many will notice their absence when they leave this world and think it is the poorer without them. The Bible calls such people righteous. How can they be identified?
I suppose the list of personal features is obvious: lots of words of encouragement, persistent prayer, delight in the Bible, joy in hearing about Jesus, focus on doing small things well, spreading the faith, hatred of sin, gratitude to God, love of fellowship, fear of grieving the Spirit, thinking often about heaven, glad to see Christians, longing for revival, concerned about sanctification, amazed at adoption into God’s family, thankful for justification, and many more similar spiritual activities.
Today is the Lord’s Day, the day above other days for soul-development, the day to use wisely and prayerfully, the day for fellowship with God and his people, the day that God delights to use to change us, and do so week after week, so that when it comes our time to leave this world, we will be missed much more than we could possibly imagine before the time.
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