Jobs

Screen capture from Wikipedia.org

His life impacts us all, through products he created and the company he grew.  There are quotes abounding as his achievements are remembered.  One quote caught my eye last night:

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Disease brought him to this thought much too early in life – but he is so right.  There are huge choices to be be made in our lives. Not just once, but many times we come to paths that diverge.  Which way will we go?

Mr. Jobs looked around and selected Buddhism as his religion of choice.  I choose Christianity. I believe the Bible, and he did not.  I look at Christ's words, and I see compassion, commandment and judgment. I see the reasons I believe choosing Christ is choosing life. Christ gives us parables, examples of what our meeting with God will be.  All will receive acknowledgement of their actions.  I pray that I will hear:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (Matthew 25:35-36 KJV)

Those who did this for their King, without regard for recompense, were surprised at the result:

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? (Matthew 25:37-39 KJV)

They apparently did not understand, so the King explained:

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40 KJV)

Those who did not look to Him as their choice, their example, their goal, received a different response:

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels … Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. (Matthew 25:41, 45 KJV)

Many ignore the inescapable fact that humans die. Every one of us. We will stand before our King at least once, no matter whether we are prepared -- or not. Some choose life, many do not.  May I always remember that being a doer of His word is love, not just reading it.