Do The Dead Speak?
I’ve often been impressed with what the Bible says about Abel, a man who lived so many hundreds of years ago. Yet, as Hebrews 11:4 declares, “...though he is dead, he still speaks.” The thousands of years that this man has been gone have not detracted from the good example he had led and has left behind. We are still encouraged by the faithful relationship Abel had with God and inspired by it to do likewise.
Yes, the way we live becomes our influence, which can remain many years after we are even gone; and how we choose to live our lives will determine what type of impact--whether good or bad--that influence will have on others.
What do our lives say to the world around us? What will our lives say when we’re gone? What will our lives say about the importance of the church? About spiritual things? About striving for a Christ-like spirit? Will our lives show that we had actually rejected the Lord—regardless of how often we declared to know Him? As Paul writes, “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him....” (Titus 1:16).
I am thankful for all the good brethren that I have met down through the years whose influence remains with me—even though many of these are no longer in the land of the living. Yet, their good example still brings comfort and encouragement; and what greater legacy can one leave behind than the legacy of a good influence that promotes the cause of Christ?
May our lives always shine brightly for the Lord—as a flame that can never be snuffed out!