What’s Most Important?

Posted On January 14, 2020

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” Proverbs 22:1

My family’s year ended on a somber note of sort. My wife’s grandmother, Ms. Ruhama Hiatt, passed away. On the surface it is a sad occasion, but it did bring to mind for me something bigger.

We were sitting in the funeral service and the pastor made a small statement that I thought was actually pretty profound. On the wall they had photos being shown in a slide-show. There were bouquets of flowers. People were coming around with hugs and offering their condolences. There was a lot going on. This statement was a very brief one amongst many wonderful words spoken. It could have easily gone unnoticed.

“We are here to celebrate a good Christian woman.” Simple and to the point. But the pastor made a huge statement in nine little words. We were not there to celebrate money, fame, or any other temporary things. We were there to remember and celebrate the Christian life of one of God’s children.

The pastor gave countless examples of how Ms. Ruhama so willingly served others all her life. She used her life to show the example of God’s love. Her life was evidence of what is important.

So many out there are searching for the “meaning of life”. Some say they are looking for “God’s will” for their life. It’s really not that hard.

So what is it all about? Jesus summed it up in two simple commandments in Matthew 22. Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And second, is love your neighbor as yourself. That is God’s will for our lives. That is the meaning of life. Your life is about God and others. It is not about you. If you look in Matthew 22:36-40, you will notice Jesus listed loving God first and then loving other people second in the list of commandments. That is on purpose because you cannot love others, as you should, if you do not love God with all that you are first. You cannot give away something you don’t have.

I am so thankful for having people in my life over the years that preferred to strive to have a good name rather than riches. They strove to love God and love others. My wife and I have lost both sets of our grandparents, but the lasting effect they had on our lives with serve us well for years to come. Their lives were examples of God’s grace and mercy. It’s hard to give them up but the life lessons learned by their example keep them forever in our hearts. I only hope and pray that one day my kids and grandkids will feel that the life I lived glorified God and that they will be able to come together to celebrate the life of a “good, Christian man”.