Hope In Life And Death

The time of my [Paul’s] death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Sweet and spunky Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite fictional characters. She spends much time with her friend and “kindred spirit,” Diana Barry.

Kindred spirits share many things of the heart, but perhaps the sweetest kindred-spirit relationship is one that shares the hope of eternity together with Jesus. Jesus Christ is not only a kindred spirit with all who look to Him as Savior, but He also ties us together with one heart of hope in Him.

The apostle Paul had another kindred-spirit friend named Timothy. Paul was actually Timothy’s mentor, but they shared a close bond as friends and missionaries together. Paul wrote his last letter to Timothy while in a Roman prison awaiting beheading. This is too gory for me to imagine, yet the whole little letter cries hope!

Because life is so short, death is just around the corner for all of us. If we are believers in Christ, we can echo Paul’s cry of hope. We too can live our lives in service to the Lord we love and in the fellowship of His hope with each other. We can live life without regret, even on our deathbeds.

You and I have no idea when God will call us home to Him. This heavenly home definitely will be worth waiting for. This home will not contain any pain or tears, and it will hold such beauty, we will never have to decorate!

If we are in Christ, we are His kindred spirit as well as Paul’s and Timothy’s. We can eagerly look forward to Him appearing again—His second coming—and look forward to meeting Him face to face when we leave this earth to be with Him. We can live with anticipation! It is all good with Him!

Kindred-spirit friend, in life or death, whether near or far—our hope is sure in Jesus Christ! Let’s live without regret until we see Him face to face.