What Do You Want On Your Tombstone?

If your family or friends could write the one thing they remember most about you on your tombstone, what would it say? Some people's might say, “He made a lot of money” Or maybe, “She knew how to have a good time.” Or someone else's might say, “He had the best-kept yard in the neighborhood.” What will yours say? For what will you be remembered? Here are some sayings from actual tombstones:

1. “Here lies Anne Mann. Who lived an old maid, but died an old Mann.”
2. “Beneath this sod, a lump of clay lays Arabella Young; who on the 21st of May began to hold her tongue.”
3. “The children of Israel wanted bread, the Lord sent them Manna. Old Clark Wallace wanted a wife, the devil sent him Anna.”
4. Here lies Johnny Yeast- ‘Forgive me for not rising.’
5. “Here lies Butch, we planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger but slow on the draw.”
6. “Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Peas. He’s not there, there’s only the pod. Peas shelled out and went to God.”

These are all pretty funny but when we think about it seriously, what will your tombstone say? The reality is that it is that how we live our lives is how we will be remembered. We need to live our lives in such a way that when people remember us, they remember how we loved and served God. After all, that is what is really important. Being famous is nice, being rich is nice (at least I think it would be!), and being well-liked is nice. There is nothing wrong with being famous, rich, or well-liked, but those are not the things we need to be remembered for. Worldly things will all pass away and only the treasures we have stored up in heaven will matter.

We are in a time of economic distress and people are worried--about their jobs, their homes, and their security. I am not saying we shouldn't be concerned with taking care of ourselves and our families. What I am saying is that if we put first things first (storing up treasures in heaven) the rest will take of itself. God loves us and knows what we need before we even ask. God knows the very number of the hairs on our heads. Don't you think it is time we started trusting him to take care of our current situations and live simply and contentedly in His care? I know, easier said than done, but we need to work at it!