I am not afraid to die. Are you? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to die. I believe I’m here for a reason, and that purpose has not yet been fulfilled. However, I’m not afraid to die, and I live my life daily as a free person under God’s sovereign will. Living well means repeatedly dying to my will each day and making it subordinate to His. Rejecting the fear of death inevitably leads to my neighbor.
As my eyes open each morning, I see the dawn of a new day of opportunity and possibility. As I sit down with my first cup of coffee, I go through my morning ritual, a series of five questions and statements.
- What am I grateful for?
- What do I look forward to today? What am I excited about?
- What is my purpose? (I have a specific statement I repeat and refine every day – Bridging brothers & sisters to what’s important.)
- How do I Move 1% closer to that end?
- Who will I thank and serve today? (with intention)
This morning ritual prepares me to live well. It also prepares me to die well. When I’m prepared to die, then I am free to live, not for myself, but for others’ joy in God. I want this for you too. In fact, I want it for everyone I encounter. I am prepared to spend my life preparing people to die well. Dying well on my last day means dying well every day.
No matter what I do, my service is always done “in Jesus’ name.” This means it is motivated by love, done in harmony with God’s revealed will, and in submission to His authority. As I live out my faith in this way, it requires my dependence upon the Holy Spirit’s power. Death is only better than life if death means living closer to Jesus, which means I must repent my sins, believe His Gospel, and follow Him. The Holy Spirit is my advocate in that journey.
The Advocate ensures I do not fear death as I live for His purpose. He slowly changes me so I can live according to the truth. The choices I make contribute to the process of transformation because they are aligned with the Holy Spirit’s work in my mind, heart, and action. They plant a good seed that perpetuates even more new growth, which is the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Living well and dying well means shedding the fear of death by “feeding your Good Wolf” repeatedly each day. Rejecting the fear of death and embracing the Advocate’s assurance leads inevitably to our neighbor. As yourself these three questions:
- What kind of life do I want to live?
- What kind of character do I want to have?
- What type of person do I want to become?
The heart of the principle of “feeding your Good Wolf” is that how we think and act matters. Therefore, we must slowly transform how we think and act to reflect God’s character qualities, i.e. The Fruit of the Spirit. We’ve all made choices we’ve regretted, which can hold us back like an anchor to a ship. Yet, God will forgive everything you genuinely repent of and He will work with you to redeem your past. The road to redemption will have obstacles in your way, but the Holy Spirit, your advocate, will enable and empower you to overcome them. Then, and only then, can you truly know what it means to live well, die well, and love your neighbor as yourself.
MindWolves 