“Don’t wait until
tomorrow to tell your loved ones how much you love them,
tomorrows aren't guaranteed to come.”
My heart has been so
heavy the past several days. Recent events have brought the above
quote to my mind over and over again. A local family lost their 11
month old daughter in a car crash on Monday. A dear friend lost her
father, a wonderfully amazing Christian man, last week. Acquaintances and
friends have recently lost family members – mothers, daughters, wives,
fathers, sons, husbands.
To imagine and
comprehend the pain and suffering that the families, loved ones, and friends of
those who have passed are going through makes my heart bleed and ache for
them. I ache for those who expected to see that person the following
day or hear their voice and struggle because they cannot. I ache beyond measure for the family that lost their baby girl. I have no
words...
It makes me remember
that none of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. We shouldn't take a
single moment for granted.
James 4:14 NLT – “How do
you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning
fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”
It is so easy to get
caught up in the mundanes of everyday life and the challenges that we
face. Don’t take one another for granted. Don’t focus on
petty things and fret about the past. Tell your family, friends and
loved ones how much you love them, what they mean to you, and spend time with
them. Don’t walk away with words unspoken, because you may never get
to say what you wished you would have said. Let go of any
grudges you've been holding on to and forgive the way Christ wants us
to forgive, in the same way he forgives us. Make amends, mend
fences, mend hearts, reconcile and restore. Hug and kiss those you
love because you can never do it enough. Have patience with your
children, hug them, love them, and remember they will only be little
once. Focus on the positives each and every day and let go of the
negatives. Serve one another. Sometimes we get so caught
up in what we don’t have that we forget about what we do have. Enjoy
everything that the Lord has blessed you with. Count those blessings
and thank for Lord for each and every one; we are all blessed so much more
greatly than we realize. Promise to live your life the best you can
today and love one another every minute of every day.
God is concerned about
how we live today. The way I live today is the day that counts most
in my pursuit of God and in my usefulness to Him. My mistakes and
sins of the past are forgiven. Today is the day I have and if I am
excusing myself for not pursuing God or following His Will today, then I am
squandering the most precious resource God has given me.
If you haven’t dedicated
your life to Christ or you are backsliding in your relationship with Him, don’t
wait until tomorrow to get right with Him. Dedicate or rededicate
your life today to the Lord. God’s word tells us that “Today is the
day of salvation.” Today, we can make that choice. Today
we can choose to live the life he wants for us. Today we can choose
to follow his path and His Will in our lives. To refuse to do so is
presuming upon a tomorrow that may or may not come.
If you have never
accepted Christ in your life, see the next section titled “Dedicating Your Life
to Jesus Christ.”
If you have already
dedicated your life to Christ and you have strayed away from Him, scroll down
to the section titled “Rededicating Your Life to Jesus Christ” to rededicate
your life to Him.
DEDICATING YOUR LIFE TO
JESUS CHRIST
Are you feeling the
“tug” of God on your heart? You can dedicate your life to Christ
today.
ADMIT you are a sinner
and turn away from your sin. “Now repent of your sins and turn to
God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19 NLT) To repent
you must acknowledge your sinning, change your mind, and change the direction
of your life – turn away from sin. God can do many things, including
removing your sins and giving you the gift of eternal life. However,
only YOU can turn from your sins and receive Jesus as your Savior.
BELIEVE Jesus Christ
died on the cross to save you from your sins and give you eternal
life. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal
life.” (John 3:16 NLT) Jesus said that you must be “born
again.” This rebirth occurs when we believe in Jesus Christ, receive
him by inviting him into our lives, and turning away from sin.
COME to him by
faith. “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT)
PRAY your response to
God. You need only ask Him in order to receive forgiveness and hope
of eternal life. Pray from your heart to God and believe that he has
saved you. If you don’t know what to pray, here is something to get
you started.
Dear Heavenly Father, I
am sorry for my sin. I turn from sin right now. I ask you
to forgive me now as I repent of my sin. Thank You for sending Your
Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sin. Jesus, I ask you
to come into my heart and into my life right now. Be my Lord and
Savior. Help me to follow You and Your Will all the days of my
life. Thank you for receiving me. Thank you for forgiving
me of my sin and that I have a place in heaven. Lead, guide and
direct me on the path You have made for me, all the days of my
life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
DON’T
DOUBT. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There is
nothing you have done, or can ever do, to deserve or earn it. It is
a free gift from God. You just have to receive it.
TELL
SOMEONE. “9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10
For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it
is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NLT)
REDEDICATING YOUR LIFE
TO JESUS CHRIST
Maybe you have already
received Christ, but you have strayed from Him. God will forgive you
right now if you will return to Him. “My wayward children…come back
to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” (Jeremiah 3:22 NLT)
If you would like to
rededicate your life to Christ, take a moment to pray a prayer like this one
now:
Dear Heavenly Father, I
am sorry for my sin. I turn from sin right now. I am
sorry that I have strayed from You and Your Will for my life. I ask
you forgive me now as I repent of my sin. I don’t want to live my
life without You any longer. Renew and revive me as I once again
follow you as my God. Thank you for receiving me. Thank
you for forgiving me of my sin. Lead, guide and direct me on the
path You have made for me, all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name,
amen.
NEW / RENEWED LIFE IN
CHRIST
Praise the Lord on your
new or renewed commitment to Him! God has forgiven and received you
if you truly meant it. Your relationship with Jesus Christ will
bring dramatic changes in your life. “Anyone who belongs to Christ
has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has
begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) What wonderful news! Even
more importantly, God has changed your eternal destiny – peaceful eternity in
his presence in heaven.
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