How Will You Be Remembered?

"The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot." (Proverbs 10:7 ASV)

I once saw a bumper sticker that said "Live your life so the pastor doesn't have to lie at your funeral." More interestingly, this was on the back of a pastor's car. Truth is, we're all going to leave this earth one day. While the Bible certainly provides a guide for how to live your life, God ultimately leaves it in our hands.

Have you ever attended the funeral of someone who was genuinely a wicked person while here on earth? It's a very sad thing indeed. More often than not, most of the attendants are there to comfort the family, rather than to mourn the passing of the individual. The eulogy is short and non-specific, and few people elect to stand up and speak about the deceased.

Contrast that with the funeral of a righteous person. A few years ago I had the privilege to attend the funeral of a good, God-fearing man. Family, friends, friends of friends, and seemingly every person who had ever met him came to say goodbye. The room was packed, standing room only despite the setting of a small town in east Texas. They even had to open the doors and set up chairs in the lobby so that more people could pay their respects. We sang hymns of praise and the pastor (who was deeply acquainted with this man) delivered the sermon with tears in his eyes. While certainly there was mourning, there was also rejoicing that he was finally in heaven with the God he loved and dedicated his life to.