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In one hundred years, most of us will not be here. In fact, many who are reading this may not be here in fifty years, and others may have less than twenty-five years. By then, those who have committed to Christ will have met our sweet Master face to face and gained their heavenly reward. I do not write these things to frighten you, but rather to provoke you to deeper reflection.

I have a pondering heart as I write this because eternity is closer than we even know. I feel a healthy fear of the Lord when I reflect on this reality. We will all stand before the righteous judge soon enough and give our account for the way we invested our lives. How did we spend the lives God gave us? 

I have two things that weigh the most on my heart right now. These two reflections should stir you to action and not just mere concern. They will motivate you to righteousness and change. 

If those in Heaven could send you a message regarding the things they wished they would have done better on Earth, what would they say? I believe they would say two things. 

1. I WISH I HAD PRAYED MORE. 

On this earth we have the blessed opportunity to commune with our dear Jesus. We can speak to Him as a friend. We can know and love on our sweet Savior any time we want! 

Prayer is not simply babbling some formal, heartless phrases, but a sweet communion where we talk to Our Father like a friend. Imagine that we can speak to the Creator of the universe and know Him intimately. He wants to be known! He wants to talk with you and me! We can each have Him all to ourselves. He loves you passionately and deeply. Every day we are on this earth, the Lord comes to the door of our hearts and gently knocks. He wants to sit with us in the garden of the Lord. He wants to fellowship with us in the great cathedral of our souls. I hope this thought moves your heart. I hope your eyes well up with tears at the thought of the Savior who cherishes you enough to knock daily on your heart’s door, trying to get your attention, trying to persuade you to leave the busyness of your life and sit with Him for a while. We’re talking about Jesus Himself. I see the compassionate Lord holding your hand as He sits with you. He hears every word and intently listens to the depths of your heart. He is there at every turn, no matter what your care or concern. Not only does He want to hear your every thought, He wants to share His heart with you, inviting you to pray for His will for mankind. Sweet fellowship and beautiful communion are available to all of us on this earth right here and now! What an unprecedented opportunity! When we cross over to the other side many of us will wish we prayed more. We will ask ourselves why we allowed ourselves to be so distracted with meaningless things that don’t matter and why we allowed the cares of life to steal our joy and stifle our motivation. 

The second thing I believe those from Heaven would share with us is this:

2. I WISH I HAD LOVED MORE. 

On this earth we have that special opportunity to love others. Even as Christ first loved us, we can also love others. Let me just say that once in a while people come along who have beautiful hearts. They are not selfish or self-centered; they don’t live this life to get or take. They were born to give and love. You see them helping someone cross the street or opening a door for the elderly. They attend to the needs of the weak. They are polite to the rude and forgiving to the cruel. They give till it hurts and then they give a little more. They don’t think twice about lending a helping hand. Kindness is their lifestyle and empathy their daily motivation. 

Mother Teresa made this profound statement: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” In other words, you and I should leave a lasting impression, a reflection of the tender compassion of the Lord Jesus, wherever we go. 

She lived a life surrendered to the call of God. During her lifetime Mother Teresa became famous as the Catholic nun who dedicated her life to care for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta. 

George Muller was a Prussian (native German) who was born September 27, 1805 and then passed on March 10, 1898, aged 92. Not only did he live through the nineteenth century, but he also saw the great awakening of 1859 and he even helped D.L. Moody, preached for Charles Spurgeon, and was also one of the men who inspired Hudson Taylor’s missionary work. 

When God put in the heart of Muller to build Ashley Down Orphanage in Bristol, England, to help needy children, he had only 50 cents on him. But he believed and trusted that God would bring the vision to fruition and by the time of his death, Muller had spent over $7,000,000 on building and maintaining the orphanages. It is estimated that George Muller cared for at least 10,024 orphans in his lifetime. His impact was so unparalleled that he was even credited with raising the poor above their natural station. He also set up 117 schools that offered Christian education to over 120,000 students.

I hope these powerful stories will encourage you to live a life of love. When we reach Heaven’s shores and finally cross the great divide, we will definitely wish we had loved more on this earth. The most beautiful hearts are those that love the way Christ loves. They are the salt of the Earth. They make the garden of the Lord even more fragrant and beautiful.  

The good news is that if you are reading this, there is still time! It’s not too late to follow the wisdom that comes from Heaven today. That is, to speak to your Lord in sweet communion, pushing aside the distractions and hindrances. Today is the day to enter into the inner chambers of the Lord. To recognize the knocks when the Bridegroom comes to fellowship with you, His beloved. 

Today we can choose to love rather than to criticize, hate or slander. Today we can choose to love even those who are hard to love. We have opportunity every day to pray and love. We still may have some life yet to live. We don’t know how much time we will be given, but we can choose to leave a legacy of prayer and love for our children and grandkids. How will we be remembered? What will the Lord say when we stand before Him? My deepest desire is that my life would be a picture of devotion to Him so that the beauty of His love shines forth, that others would see Jesus in me. 

My dear friend, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27).

Let a word to the wise be sufficient to draw near to your God while there’s still time.

- Steve Porter

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