Christian Comment with Clive Lewis of The Church of God Prophecy

I READ a remarkable book recently.

Entitled The Top Five Regrets of the Dying author Bonnie Ware writes from the perspective of her many years as a palliative care nurse.

The book captures the stories of a number of patients who, in the final stages of their lives, reflect on what they would have liked to have done differently.

Before I briefly summarise some of the key points from the book, let me touch on the reason I thought I would write about this.

Nowadays, life moves at an incredible speed and before you know it, the years pass and we gradually realise what is really important versus that which is less so.

Unfortunately all too often the truth can be that we have wasted precious years.

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, it was the simple things like keeping in touch with friends and family that meant the most to patients on their dying bed.

Many regretted working too hard whilst others wished that they had been better able to express their feelings.

The five most frequent regrets were: ‘I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me', 'I wish I hadn’t worked so hard', 'I wish I had the courage to express my feelings', 'I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends' and 'I wish that I had let myself be happier’.

It is unfortunate that as humans we often procrastinate when faced with the choice of doing something different or accepting the status quo.

This can include things as diverse as losing weight, stopping smoking, starting ones own business, leaving an abusive relationship, moving to another country or applying for that promotion.

The Bible is the best guide we have to how we should live our lives.

It says that while we figure out what we have been placed her for and pontificate over decisions of what to do, we should Fear God and keep his commandments.

Without being morbid about it as we approach the end of yet another year, now would be a good time to pause and think about what we are placing value in.

It isn’t necessary to wait until the new-year to make a resolution to do something differently.

There is no better time than the present to begin afresh and find new value and purpose.

It takes courage to buck the trend and swim against the tide of what others are doing.

As you do so, I wish you every success as you progress toward your renewed purpose.

To end, here are a few Bible scriptures that I hope will help you think about life.

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…”

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 11:25, 26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…”

John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.