A Life That Counts

One morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel - inventor of dynamite, the man who had
spent his life amassing a fortune from the manufacture and sale of weapons of destruction, awoke to read his own obituary. Of course, it was a mistake. Alfred's brother had died, and the reporter inadvertently wrote Alfred's obituary.

For the first time, Alfred Nobel saw himself as the world saw him -- 
"the dynamite King," the great industrialist who had made an immense fortune 
from explosives. This, as far as the general public was concerned, was the entire purpose of his life. None of his true intentions surfaced. Nothing was said about his work to break down the barriers that separated persons and ideas. He was quite simply "a merchant of death," and for that alone would he be remembered.

Alfred read the obituary with HORROR! He felt that the world must know the 
true meaning and purpose of his life! He resolved to do this through his last will and testament. The final disposition of his fortune would show the world his life's ideals. And at that time came into being yearly prizes for chemistry, physics, medicine, literature -- and the famous Nobel Peace Prize. *

If you were to read YOUR OWN obituary today, what would it say?  
How would others describe what truly mattered to you?

A wise person has written:

A hundred years from now, it will not matter
what kind of car I drove, how much money I made,
or where I lived.
What will be important is that I…

How would YOU finish the quote? How you answer that question will be reflected in your obituary. The rest of the original quote is: " What will be important is that I... made a difference in the life of a child."  Indeed, to make a positive difference in the life of a child is extremely important and commendable. However, THE MOST IMPORTANT factor in our lives, when all is said and done is:" WAS I A CHRISTIAN?"  Everything else is secondary.  NOTHING ELSE MATTERS MORE! Your eternal destiny hinges on the answer....

Because of our sins, WE are lost, doomed to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).  However, because of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, YOU and I can be forgiven of our sins and have the hope of eternal life with Him in heaven.  
God provides these blessings to those who will: place their trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent of sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10), be baptized (immersed) in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), and live for Him the rest of their lives (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Chances are, you will not be reading your own obituary.  But you have already begun to WRITE it -- day by day, moment by moment.

Live YOUR todays for Christ, and tomorrow you will look back on a life that counted!

God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

* Author Unknown

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