Before I Die…

Many people have a bucket list, a list of activities they want to do before they pass away. This term comes from the English idiom “kick the bucket,” which means “to die.” Recently, while walking through downtown Buffalo, New York, I saw a chalkboard where people could write down things they want to experience before their lives end. After I took this photo, I noticed chalk at the bottom. So I wrote on the upper right hand corner: “Lead more people to Jesus (Romans 10:9-10).” 

A quote attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes is “most people die with their music still in them.” Many people pass away before fully expressing their potential, creativity, or passions. This is often due to fear or waiting for “the right time.” 


Then there are Christians who fear it’s too late to accomplish God’s purpose for their lives. One of my favorite Bible verses is Joel 2:25, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you.” As long as one repents, God can bring about a supernatural reset. He can help you get back on track and redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16). Moses had a calling to lead the children of Israel to freedom but didn’t accomplish that until after the burning bush incident when he was 80 years old.


I once heard Kenneth Copeland talk about how he had asked the Lord how much further he would be in ministry if he had been born again at a younger age. The Lord replied, “You would be exactly where you are at right now.” God has a way of helping us make up for lost time.


What’s on your heart to do for the Lord that hasn’t been accomplished yet? Start a group Bible study? Feed the homeless? Finance a crusade? Go to a missions trip? Travel to Israel? The latter is one of the things on my bucket list. I also have a desire to visit every state in America. The only one left is Alaska. 


The most important thing everyone should do before they die is get right with the Lord. Once a sinner enters through the gates of hell, there is no second chance.


“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” - Revelation 22:11


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