Yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day – a day set aside to remember our fallen veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our Country and our way of life.  As I said from the pulpit Sunday, many of us have known this loss personally as we have experienced grieving over the loss of a personal friend or relative in war. Sadly, most people think of Memorial Day as the “beginning of Summer” rather than as a day of solemn remembrance and gratitude.  This speaks to the fact that, for better or worse, we have short memories about the really important issues in life.  We tend to live in the moment and pay little attention to the consequences of our actions or what they bode for our future.

This is all too true when it comes to the biggest decision you will ever make – whether or not you will become a follower of Christ.  The world tells us to “grab the gusto,” “eat, drink, and be Merry,” and “live and let live.”  What the world does not encourage us to do is to remember the true source of our liberty (Jesus) and give Him the honor and respect He deserves.  You see, if we were to take the time to memorialize Jesus and truly consider what He has done for us, we would be faced with the unpleasant dilemma of acknowledging Him as our Lord and Savior or living the way the world wants us to live.  No, the world wants us to believe it is much safer to just not think about Jesus and focus on the pleasures of the day.  This “safe” approach avoids confrontations with others and lets everyone “get along.”  This “safe” approach is based on “relative truth” which the world likes to promote as being peaceful and harmonious.  The problem is that the real definition of “relative truth” is a “lie.”  There is only one truth and it is absolute and it comes from the One Sovereign God.  

As we continue to study “wisdom living,” I encourage you to practice remembering where you came from, where you are, where you are headed, and most importantly, the One who will be there through it all and forevermore.

-Pastor Dave Jones