The Saddest Thing

If you made a top ten list of saddest things in the world, what would be on it? I'm sure a sick pet would be on there somewhere. Or a sick relative or friend.

How about what's happening in our country right now. That's pretty sad. But the saddest thing of all, the thing that tops tops the list, many people won't even acknowledge. The lack of faith in Jesus by someone we love.

It's a given that we want to spend as much time as we can with our favorite people - sons, daughters, spouses, parents, special friends. But what if some of the people we love don't believe in Jesus? That relationship WILL come to an end when one of the two dies.

Faith in Jesus offers eternal life. It seems like a no-brainer to take God up on that offer. Eternal life, forgiveness of sin - what's not to like?!

We can't change people's minds for them. They have to do that for themselves. But we CAN love them. And love is a very powerful thing. "God is love" (1 John 4:8).

Can anything be more sad than looking at someone, knowing they soon will die and be gone forever, and knowing it could have been different, it didn't have to end?

Prayer, continued love, and continued witness, are the orders of the day for the Christian. Never stop. Never give up hope. God is long-suffering and so should we be.

It is not whether we get our loved ones to believe. That's not up to us. What matters most is that we tried. And that we accept the outcome either way because it is God's will, not ours.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17

"They replied, "Believe in the LORD Jesus, and you will be saved." - Acts 16:31

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9not by works, so that no one can boast."- Ephesians 2:8-9