Is Your House in Order?

As I prepare to leave for New Hampshire I have been doing some things around the house that should have been done a long time ago. You can call it a honey-do list, chores, whatever; the point is these are things that I have put off until now. In fact, anytime I'm going to be traveling without my family I try to take care of the things that I have put off. Is anybody else like that? I'm sure that some of the guys reading right now are going "Hey man, I'm the same way!"

Why do we do it? We do it for the same reason that my wife likes to ensure the bed is made in the morning, or the house is clean before we go on vacation (can't come home to a dirty house), etc. We are attempting to set our house in order. Should anything happen while we are gone, should our stay be lengthened, should an emergency strike - we are ready. Actually, this is biblical. In the Gospel of Luke 12:13-21 we read the parable of the rich fool. It's the story of the rich man who decided to build bigger barns to store his increase and once everything was done said, "...take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." God said, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?"

Question: How foolish do you have to be for God to call you a fool?
Psalm 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart that there is no God." The rich man was living as if there were no God. It was as if he controlled his own destiny. He had sown much, reaped a wonderful harvest for himself, and then decided to sit back and enjoy. Yet, in all of this, not once did he think tomorrow I may die. In 2 Kings 20:1 King Hezekiah was told to set his house in order because he was going to die. How's that for a diagnosis?

What about you? What if the Lord sent someone to you (or spoke directly to you) to say "You will die tomorrow." What would you do? I imagine making sure that my wife knew where the life insurance forms were, updating my will, making sure the bills were paid and that she had a schedule for when things were due, tell people good-bye, share the Gospel with someone, and spend ample time with my family. Believe me - the list goes on; but I ensure you that 24 hours isn't enough time to get it all done. What about your soul? Would you be ready to die or would God say that you lived like a fool? What most of us don't realize is: we are not promised tomorrow. We may not have anyone knocking on our door and saying "tomorrow..." but we should live with that reality. I'm not saying that we should live in doom and gloom but with the understanding that this life is but a vapor (here today and gone tomorrow). What kind of treasures have I laid up?

Setting your house in order spiritually is even more important than what you can do economically or physically. There is a part of you that is eternal; your spirit will live on. The question is: WHERE?

Larry Norman was a true child of the 60's who was dramatically saved. He wrote a song several years ago called "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." The song came out of some questions they were asking back when the biggest fear in America was being bombed by Russia. People were converting their pools into bomb shelters and the thought came across their minds "who would you let in?" It would be so much easier if we were all ready. As a believer I live with the understanding that any day Jesus could come back. I also live with the understanding that any day could be my last. Praise God, I'm ready. I hope you are as well.