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If You Had Only One More Day To Live,
What Would You Do?


What risks would you take?
What fears would you face knowing you would stand before God’s presence?

The Bible gives us the answer in I Peter 4:7. The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. 
Peter tells us prayer will enable us to face whatever that day may bring.
In the same chapter, he talks much of suffering. “Since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose” I Peter 4:1.

The climate for being a non-committed Christian, just sitting on the fence, is coming to an end. 
By society proclaiming “tolerance of everything,” those with a standard of right and wrong won’t be tolerated. 
Christians become an obstacle for them to do what they want.
How do we prepare?
Peter told us, “be of sound judgment (sound judgment comes from knowing truth) and sober spirit (listen to the Spirit)  for the purpose of prayer.”

Want to be ready for suffering? 
Know truth—the Bible. 
Listen and obey it. 
And Pray.
Simple. There’s no room for fear. For what if’s? 
Just pray.

What does prayer lead us to do?
The next verses tell us.

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” I Peter 4:8-11.

We continue to do today, what we are supposed to do every day—Love others. 
That means all that food that some are hoarding for the “end times” should be shared with others.
Maybe you are to prepare, then be hospitable to those who have nothing.
Use your gifts to further God’s kingdom. 
Strengthen the believers. 
And glorify God.

We can live in fear.
Those in California have already been told to expect power outages that will last a week. Some already have experienced it. 
Taxes sap our resources. 
We prepare. Fore these are not what if’s, but when
Others are leaving the state. Six million working tax-payers who left California last year were replaced by five million government dependent illegals, many with criminal records. Who will pay for their advantages?
Others around the world live with persecution.

The Jews, in Peter’s time, had no time to prepare. They fled or hid.
Who was right?
Are those who suffered greater, more holy than those who fled?
Didn’t those who fled spread the Gospel to all Rome?
Didn’t those who stay behind help others escape to freedom?

During Hitler’s time, many Jews and Christians fled before his coming. 
Others stayed to help others escape to freedom.
Who was right?
Peter tells us the answer.“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Use the gifts God has given you. WHERE GOD PUTS YOU.
Listen to the Spirit to tell you where you should be, and even what to do. 
Thus, the PRAY part is essential to completing the rest of the verses. 

Especially that love one another part. 
Who can do that without God’s help?
Don’t we all have that one person who tries us? How can one person irritate so much?
But he does, every day.
In spite of how much you pray and ask God to help to love him.
Love.
Goes back to that first verse. 
We suffer to become more like Christ. We share in His sufferings so that when we suffer rightly. God is glorified. 
Others see the standard of truth. 
And it is worth dying for. 
Tolerance doesn’t work. By tolerating everything, nothing has meaning. 
Truth shines through God’s people to cause those who persecute Christians (who mirror the truth) to want that meaning and purpose.
God is pleased.
We continue in prayer.
And God is glorified.

What would I do if I only had one day left to live?
Same thing that I do every day. 
Pray. 
Listen and obey.
Give my fears back to God. 
And do the next thing.


Displaying 1 comment

Very well said and so very, very true. We need to keep this in mind every day, as you say, "pray, listen, obey." Every day could be our last day as I am aware of more than I have ever been. Thanks for sharing, it means a lot to me.

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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.