Devotional: To Walk Worthy

Attending the funeral of a young woman who just flew away home to heaven after a six-year battle with cancer will give a person perspective like little else. I couldn’t wait to get home and hug my husband and tell him I love him, and hopefully sweep away some of the stupid, petty drama we engaged in this morning.

Even though I know in a couple of hours there will probably be even more stupid, petty drama, because we’re human.

I’ve been thinking this week about that saying, “Only the good die young,” and how that has some truth to it, if we believe that a person only reaches “perfection”—spiritual maturity—at a point more or less close to when God calls them home. Maybe those who die young are those who have reached perfection sooner than the rest of us.

Of course, that probably means I’ll be here until I’m a hundred and thirty, if God doesn’t call us home until we get our lives more or less straight. Why can’t I just get a grip on loving my family and ignoring the urge to create stupid, petty drama? Life is feeling shorter than ever these days, even though I’ve always believed in living with an eye to eternity.

After hearing this young woman’s family talk about her bravery and determination to bless others, and the impact of her faith and life on theirs, I’m more determined than ever to not waste the time God has given me. To heed the apostle Paul’s admonishment that we live our lives in a way that brings honor to Christ.

But Lord, You have to help me do this, because I sure can’t do it on my own ...

⁶... He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ ...

²⁷ Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel ... (Philippians 1, NKJV)