God’s Epitaph

By Al Behel

     Three men were asked, "When you are in your casket and friends and family are mourning you, what would you like to hear them say about you?" The first guy said, “I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor and a great family man.” The second guy said, “I would like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow.” The last guy said, “I would like to hear them say… LOOK! HE’S MOVING!!!!”

     What would you want people to say about you? What would you want written on your tombstone? The answer comes from how we define our purpose in life and the extent to which we consider that we have achieved that purpose. We want others to think that our lives made a difference.

     Several years ago I selected my epitaph, one which I think could be written by the hand of God. It reads simply, “To Be Continued….” A lady heard me deliver a sermon in Alabama in which I reference my epitaph. She “stole” it and placed it on her husband’s headstone. I think my purpose on earth is to prepare to live eternally in the presence of God.

     How do you measure success? Is it by titles or degrees, bank ac[1]counts, or the address on your home? Is it by how many people know you by name, your appearances on television, or in magazines? What you think makes a person successful really defines how satisfied or fulfilled you are in life.

     Is your idea of success centered in God’s idea of success? Is every thought and every action directed toward accomplishing His purpose for you? Or have you gotten side-tracked by lesser causes and goals? Jesus said it clearly, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matthew 6:33).

- Al Behel preaches for the Great Smoky Mountains Church of Christ in Pigeon Forge, TN. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://greatsmokymountainschurchofchrist.com/