Who Will Cry When You Die?—Two2Grow, Wednesday, August 26
Who Will Cry When You Die?—Two2Grow, Wednesday, August 26
“Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.” Acts 9:39 NIV
The fallen world around us tells us to live for ourselves, get the most out of life, and maximize our happiness—even if that means hurting others and acting selfishly.
The common phrase that captures this attitude is YOLO: You Only Live Once.
But that is completely contrary to the life God wants us to live. YOLO says, “life is short, so live for yourself.” God calls us to something radically different: to live a self-giving life, looking out for the best interests of others.
There was a disciple in the book of Acts named Dorcas who embodied this. She is only mentioned in one passage, which speaks of how she helped the poor and how people mourned her death. It also says that they showed Peter the clothes she had made. In other words, Dorcas had lived such a self-giving life in the service of others that she was deeply missed when she died.
I recently heard the rhetorical question, “Who will cry when you die?” That is a good question to ask. Am I living such a self-giving life that I too, like Dorcas, will be missed? Do I add value and meaning to the lives of others, or am I trying to shape the world around my wishes and desires?
Father, help me to live a self-giving and generous life for Your glory. Give me the power to keep loving and giving, especially when people don’t deserve it or never give anything back. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
The fallen world around us tells us to live for ourselves, get the most out of life, and maximize our happiness—even if that means hurting others and acting selfishly.
The common phrase that captures this attitude is YOLO: You Only Live Once.
But that is completely contrary to the life God wants us to live. YOLO says, “life is short, so live for yourself.” God calls us to something radically different: to live a self-giving life, looking out for the best interests of others.
There was a disciple in the book of Acts named Dorcas who embodied this. She is only mentioned in one passage, which speaks of how she helped the poor and how people mourned her death. It also says that they showed Peter the clothes she had made. In other words, Dorcas had lived such a self-giving life in the service of others that she was deeply missed when she died.
I recently heard the rhetorical question, “Who will cry when you die?” That is a good question to ask. Am I living such a self-giving life that I too, like Dorcas, will be missed? Do I add value and meaning to the lives of others, or am I trying to shape the world around my wishes and desires?
Father, help me to live a self-giving and generous life for Your glory. Give me the power to keep loving and giving, especially when people don’t deserve it or never give anything back. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD