In the corner of my wife Laurin’s dining room stood a gently used walker. It belonged to her mother, but she no longer needs it.
You see, Jesus healed her.
Some people would say that Martha Ann “lost her battle” with the disease that took her life, but I know that’s not right. Today, Martha Ann is walking, dancing, running, laughing, and experiencing a kind of joy I have only imagined. She is far more alive than you or I have ever been. She is not the loser of anything. As I said, Jesus healed her.
I had the privilege of getting to know Martha Ann, if only for a short while, mostly from her bedside in hospice care and from stories Laurin shared with me. I’ll never forget the way Martha Ann’s eyes would light up as Laurin would sit next to her and read Psalm 23. Or the way her eyes would close and a smile would come across her frail face as she listened to a devotional about heaven. In the final stages of a very difficult disease, Martha Ann had peace of mind and displayed a trust in Jesus that eludes the strongest among us.
Eternal Life Now
Martha Ann came face to face with her Savior, free from hospice beds and walkers. She stepped out of our broken world and into a new life—an eternal life. But from what I saw in Martha’s spirit during the short time I got to know her in this life, I’m pretty sure she didn’t wait for heaven to start living her eternal life.
What if I told you Martha Ann that rather than getting a head start on living her eternal life, she actually had the peace that Jesus intended every one of His followers to have?
Though it’s common to believe eternal life is something we receive after we die, that was never God’s intention. He wants us to have an abundant, overflowing life right here and now. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36, emphasis mine). Not someday. Not just in heaven. Right now. When we come to know Jesus, eternal life is ours the minute we believe!
If I’m honest with myself, there have been plenty of days where I haven’t experienced the kind of joy someone who’s been given eternal life should. If eternal life were only a future reality, I’d be off the hook, free to get caught up in the petty pursuits of life as I often do. But those pursuits create a life without meaning and purpose, a life without God. Incidentally, it’s the kind of life Solomon attempted to build for himself time and time again in the Book of Ecclesiastes.
Empty Life Now
Solomon tried to find happiness in his money and possessions, but those were dead ends. He tried women and sex, but only to end up with a more Valentine’s Day presents to buy. He tried living for pleasure and fun, but in the end, he had nothing more than a hangover. No matter where he tried to find true happiness, Solomon discovered everything under the sun was meaningless, “a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
Solomon learned contentment in this life simply doesn’t exist. It can’t be found, no matter how hard we chase after it. But because our Heavenly Father is good and He loves His children, He sends the next life—His eternal, heavenly life—to invade the present.
Martha Ann caught a glimpse of this heaven-life and found a peace beyond reason. In some ways, she was blessed in her hospice bed free from the distractions of this world that vie for our attention. She discovered the one thing that truly matters, the one thing that eluded Solomon during all of his exploits: “In God’s presence, there is fullness of joy; at His right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Take time today to set aside the distractions and sit in God’s presence. If you know Jesus, rest in the knowledge God has given you abundant, eternal life. It’s yours right now; all you need to do is live in it.
Additional Resources
The Blueprint for Life eight week study will help you discover the life you were born to live. The study contains a workbook and ten drive-time audio messages on mp3 CD, featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Available for digital download. Click here to check it out!
