Pastor's Corner: Life is short

Life is short.

I hear the messages and the flow of conversation at funerals a lot. I hear how people are remembered, and the special things they did that stood out in another’s mind. Sometimes I listen to the infighting of a family that has not been together since the last funeral.  Those are tough moments when you have to settle family feuds before you can bury their departed.

This also happens at marriages.The tension generated around marriages, the great expectations, and the unreasonable costs, often create family strife that takes years to heal. In fact, sometimes it never heals until the next big event which is the funeral. Good friends stop speaking and drift away.   

Life is short. No one wants to be considered weak or over-bearing.  No one wants to be too sweet or too hard and bitter. There is a balance that moves in the center of our hearts that is empowered by God, the Holy Spirit. This balance comes from allowing Him to control our lives. It gives us the courage and discipline to walk in His steps. When He controls our thoughts and minds we bear the luscious fruit of the Spirit. Not easy to do. But, I want to be remembered as one who enjoyed God more than life.  May they say I spent more time building up others than being a wrecking ball. The Apostle Paul never told us to remember his name. What he said was “imitate my actions.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Life is too short.

Corbit Magby is the Senior Pastor at Central, on the corner of 67th and Cirque in University Place. Central meets at 10:30 am on Sunday.