Taking Stock

Happy Monday, Church!

Today's verse is a bit of a challenge, but also very motivational! It helps us make good choices, even when no one is watching!

"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." -Revelation 20: 12

This verse also reminds me of another equally challenging verse: "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgement. For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned." -Matthew 12:36-37

Wow. I could just let you ponder the gravity of those verses for a few minutes! It is noon, how many idle words have you already uttered today? And what have you done that may be noteworthy for God's books? Either good or bad? I can only imagine reading through those pages... remembering how I was feeling each time I neglected Him, or spoke a word in anger- but then also smiling as I recall moments of tenderness between Jesus and me, or fun days spent with my family...the day of judgement will arrive. How do you want to be remembered? What will you leave behind? You can choose today what you will read one day at the seat of judgement- all of those pages are made up of choices we make moment by moment. String them all together and you have a life. Will yours be well-lived? Will yours be one continuous song of worship?

Don't spend too much time feeling guilty or becoming overwhelmed with regret- this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! But if you do feel some pangs of regret- let those spur you on to make better choices today than you did yesterday! And be encouraged- we are all on this journey together- you are not alone!

Taking stock of my own life,
Kelly