News & Events

LSEM > Devotions > Happily Ever After

Happily Ever After

  • December 4, 2018
  • Posted by: Carolyn Mahal
  • Category: Devotions
No Comments

If you’re like most of the majority of the 7.2 billion people living on planet earth today, you will never have a biography written about you. For some of you, this may come across as mean or rude, but for most people, that is understood and frankly appreciated. There are only a few people whose contribution to society deserve a writer taking the time to study them and share their story for public consumption. But what if I told you that each and everyone of us have been writing our own autobiography for most of our adult life? Would you believe me? Well, you should because it’s true.

So, what is the name of this book that will reveal these details about you? It’s called…

Your checkbook.

It is often said that you can learn a lot about a person if you learn how and on what they spend their money. This should come as no surprise. People buy products they believe in, support causes that are important to them, and invest in things that will produce the results they most desire to see in the world. The simple truth of it all is this – people won’t want to pay for something that they don’t value. If you truly value something, money is no object. How many stories have been told about parents who will stop at nothing, who will spare no expense to save the lives of their children? They do so because the love they have for their children far exceeds their personal wealth. Students pursuing a career will pay for the bachelors, masters, or even the doctoral degree without flinching at the cost. Why? Because if it is needed for a person to pursue their dream, they will value it.

What is the most valuable thing in your life? If you look at this from a materialistic view, you would probably list things like your house and car. Of course, you knew to stay away from that trap and thought of things that money can’t buy. After all, most people would give away their fortunes for the safety and well-being of their spouse, children and grandchildren. To that I would say that you’re getting warmer, but you’re still not quite there. After all, if my family spent every last penny to save me from a life-threatening disease, our whole family would celebrate. We would treasure every moment we had from that time forward as a gift. That is, until I eventually died anyway. I know this sounds terrible, but the truth of the matter is this: the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eventually, death comes to us all. Therefore, the most valuable thing in our lives would have to be something that doesn’t only delay death but takes it away.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Consider Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus paid the price for our victory by taking our sin to Calvary’s cross. What’s more, this gift is freely given to any man, woman or child by grace, through faith. No hidden costs. No fine print.

Now, because we know what Christ has done for us, what is stopping us from doing all that we can to share this great gift with our 7.2 billion brothers and sisters who need to hear it? God has blessed us with so many great gifts. How wonderful it is for us to follow His example and give our time, our talents, our treasures, and our knowledge of the one true faith that gives to us the greatest gift imaginable: eternal life in Heaven with our loving Father.

So as the chapters of your biography are written, may the story be filled with the love of God being shared with those who long to hear it that we all may live happily ever after for eternity.

 

Devotion by Richard Schumacher

LSEM Director of Programs & Services