BEFORE RENT TO OWN

Did he think it was a semi-fanatical Christian mandate in my life?

While helping my cousin move, her husband Peter asked me why I don’t own a television. I explained. Twenty-two years ago when my wife and I bought a house, our budget was so tight we couldn’t afford a television. Busy with our fixer-upper, we became accustomed to living televisionless.

This satisfied Peter—pretty much. I had noticed a mega TV in his new place, so I added, “Remember, this was before rent to own.”

“How old are you!” Peter stared at me as if he was talking to an ancient artifact. Quickly piling on, “Aren’t you afraid to die?”

He was serious. And then he haltingly said, “I think about dying almost every day.” I asked him why he thought about death so much. Peter said, “I always wonder why God bought us to earth; then we die.”

We’re born; we die. What’s the in-between about?

Jesus said: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last.”

Life Purpose 1: Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, chose us to have a relationship with Him. Imagine-- I get excited because I’ve accepted His invitation.

Life Purpose 2: Each person is to live a meaningful, godly life which produces lasting fruit.

Fruit?

The Bible provides a list of life-fruits which should be growing in our lives: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” From there our fruitfultiness needs to influence other people to have these same godly characteristics.

Peter, if you . . . and if I have that kind of fruit in our lives, we won’t be afraid to die.