This Means War!

Last year was the first time I did Lent. It was a very spiritual experience for me so that’s why I’m doing it again this year and eagerly looking forward to see what will unfold. Lent is that time of year in the 40 days leading up to Easter where believers can set time aside for fasting and to reflect on what Jesus did for us at the Cross and the suffering he went through.

FIVE

In my job we do a fair amount of problem solving and it’s amazing how many times after analyzing a large complex problem, we end up with 5 smaller real issues that we need to deal with. Five is a good number because it tells us that the problem is in our hand – it is not as difficult as it first looked.
Last time I touched on the 5 common regrets of the dying but also mentioned that there is something we are going to, which we need to prepare for. It will be no use to you if you leave this life with regrets and nothing to hope for, nothing to hold on to.

If you were really concerned about this you would most likely look at all the major Beliefs in the world. But it is surprising how little real hope and assurance they offer to the dying.

1. The Hindus expect to be reincarnated, hopefully as something better but possibly as something less, depending on how they lived, with the final hope of becoming one with the universe.

2. The Buddhists have a similar belief to the Hindus in that how you have lived in this life determines what happens in the next reincarnated life. The final hope is for Nirvana, which although sounds like Heaven, is not a place at all but a state of mind and body. It is rather a vague concept of happiness where the person is released from suffering and earthly desires, sadly including love.

3. The Humanists/Atheists have no hope since they don’t believe in the spiritual world. Death is the end for them.

4. The Muslims hope that God will fairly judge them depending on their deeds. In this case they hope that their goodness outweighs their badness since that will determine whether they end up in Heaven or Hell.

5. The Judaists do believe in a continuation of life, although the focus is on the here and now. A soul will go to Heaven but there is a time in Hell for everyone depending on how well they obeyed the law.

I would not like to be in the position of any one of these “Believers” in my final moments!

I want to have a real hand I can reach out to with my hand. I want a Hand that is strong and secure, that has done it all before, that has conquered Death and is ALIVE. I want a Hand that belongs to someone who loves me. That Hand belongs to only ONE – Jesus Christ. He loves you too and He is The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Steve Jobs and All That You Can't Leave Behind

A couple of weeks ago I was forwarded a Guardian news article which really grabbed my attention titled "Top five regrets of the dying". The article quotes an Australian nurse who works in hospice care where people go in the final few weeks of their lives.

What interested me is that the regrets are not related to achievement or influence, something most of us strive for all our lives. Instead the regrets are relationship orientated or connected with our hopes and dreams.

I think though that there is one very important regret missing from the list and that is not a regret related to the life that has been lived. In people's final moments they also have clarity that there is something they are going to.