Several days ago I was searching the Costco Web site to see if they offered delivery on several Thanksgiving staples I still needed in order to complete my plans, and I came across a troubling reality: you can now purchase coffins —you heard right—coffins, at Costco!
It is a truism: if Costco doesn’t sell it, you don’t need it!
The Common Destiny
Costco has gotten wise to the stark and depressing reality that if Jesus doesn’t come back to get us before then, we will all eventually die! Solomon, the wisest person in the world, agreed. He further pondered in his diary—conveniently found in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes:
“All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” (Ecclesiastes 9:2-4, NIV).
Who Are You Living For?
We are all going to die, so let me ask you a question: whose glory are you living your life for? I hope you’re living your life in order to better know, love, and live Jesus; after all, He’s the only one truly worth living for.
Did you notice Solomon’s statement in verse four?
“Anyone who is among the living has hope.”
What did he mean by that? Let me put it another way: if you were to die today, could you say without a doubt that you would spend eternity with Jesus? In 2 Peter 3:1-9, the Apostle Peter, when speaking about the “Day of the Lord” aka Jesus’ Second Coming, reminds us of this beautiful truth:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise . . . Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (verse 9, NIV).
Get it? Solomon and Peter are both saying the same thing. God is literally keeping you alive to ensure, among other things, that you not only have accepted His payment for your sin, but then are living in a way that shows that you know, love, and respect Him and are sharing Him with as many people as you know—and don’t know.
Thanksgiving = Thanks-living
This Thanksgiving, let’s take the time to be thankful for all the blessings that he gives us–chief among them is that: today, you woke up! That you’re last night…wasn’t your last night!
In the midst of all the commercials and consumerism, take the time to be conscious of all the chances for salvation and all the blessings that God has given you—not just over the past year—but over your entire life! Then, don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with someone else! “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High” (Psalms 9:1, 2, NLT).
Then, after you’ve taken the time to tell yourself, God, and others about your gratitude for all God’s goodness, take it one step further: take the time to live out your beliefs!
The half-brother of Jesus actually had a lot to say about this issue:
“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works” (James 2:17-26, NLT).
Thoughtful Thanksgiving
Instead of wishing you a “Happy Thanksgiving,” I’d like to instead wish you all a thoughtful Thanksgiving.
Don’t let another Thanksgiving pass you by without making sure that you’ve given God your life.
So I ask you again: who are you living for? Because—and I don’t want to sound rude or
anything, but—tomorrow someone may be headed to Costco…to pick up your coffin.
