Tragedy

Before writing this post, I asked God to give me an example of what the world usually calls a tragedy.

Margaret Wilson died a violent death by drowning at age 18. Her life ended because she would not recant her faith in Jesus. *

Tragic?

A wasted life is a tragedy. But was Margaret Wilson’s life wasted?

John Piper writes, "I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells...' Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tragedy." (Piper, Don't waste your life, 2003)

Is it evil to enjoy your life? A vague question, but the simplest answer is no. But is enjoying your life and having as good a time as possible while you're alive all there is to life? If it is so, the couple who retired early to a life of easy luxury would have been completely justified. If it is so. But it isn’t.

Life on earth is a journey away or towards God. In this life, we either decide to stand with God forever or to fall to hell without Him. If we live our lives for any other purpose than to seek God, find Him, glorify Him and point others to Him, no matter how accomplished we seem by worldly standards, we have lived in vain.