A Pastoral Concern: Preaching the Word on Time

          It is interesting to me when people speak about the holidays being a bad time for someone to die.  I understand the sentiment.  The family will always associate a certain holiday with the death of a loved one.  But it also implies that there are more convenient times to die.  Death does not care.  It takes when it wants.  And really, the loved ones don't care for death's timing no matter when it comes.  No one says, "August 3rd?  Hey, that worked out great!"  Death is cruel, and it does not concern itself with a clock or calendar.  The Psalms remind us, "In your book all of them were written.  Days were determined, before any of them existed" (Psalm 139:16).  God has numbered our days.  Just as you did not choose your birthday, so also it is God who determines the day of your death.  Your life ends on God's timing, whether it is deemed convenient or not.

          The preaching of God's word is often treated the same way.  The Lord encourages his people to confess his name and his word at all times.  But there are times when we argue that it is bad or inconvenient.  We see loved ones who are ensnared in their sins or who have stopped going to church.  We know we should say something to them.  But not at Thanksgiving; we would not want to ruin that weekend.  And not at Christmas; that is cherished family time.  We want everyone happy.  And not when there's a wedding coming up; that would make the occasion awkward for everyone.  And not at a birthday; that day is special.  And on it goes.

          Don't be fooled into thinking a death bed will be a great time for a conversion, either.  Many people don't have time to ponder on their death bed.  And even if they did, it almost certainly won't matter.  Former member, Diane Johnson, served as a hospice nurse for years.  She watched many people die.  Her comment was, "They die like they live."  In other words, if they ignored God's word for weeks, months, and years, their final minutes won't be any different.

          Perhaps it is more honest to admit, "I would rather not confront my loved ones with God's word.  That will make them feel bad.  I may even lose the opportunity to see my children or grandchildren.  I can't afford that."  Yes, there is the risk of that.  There is a risk that your loved ones will withhold their love from you because you have expressed your concern that they are neglecting or defying God's word.  Of course, if you are their loved one and they know that you love them in every other way, might they not be more inclined to listen to your plea, your admonition, and your encouragement?

          Perhaps you are convinced that the risk too great, that you speaking to them what God has to say will be enough to sever your relationship with them.  But consider: Are you willing to remain silent and let them forfeit their eternity so that you can see them on holidays?  Or is having them with you and your Savior for eternity worth the risk of an icy holiday or a severed relationship?  If that happened, it would certainly be heart-breaking.  No one enjoys a severed relationship.  We want our family gatherings to be warm, not icy.  But much less would we enjoy knowing our loved ones will perish.  And even less would we be pleased with ourselves if we sat back and watched it happen while doing nothing about it.

          This is what the Lord says: "At a favorable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.  Look, now is the favorable time!  See, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2)!  There is not a wrong time to preach and confess God's word.  Of course, we do it with gentleness and respect.  We do it out of love for our loved ones.  We do it out of love for strangers.  We do it because we love the word of the Lord and we want people to know God's love for them.  There is no wrong time for that.  

          Perhaps a good way to start it is to tell your loved ones that you are going to church and would like them to come along.  They may only do it as a favor to you, but it is a good way to demonstrate that God's word matters to you.  And you hope it will matter to them, too.  If they come and hear God's word, that word will do in them what God is pleased to do with it.  

          If you engage in one of these difficult conversations, God grant you the courage, wisdom, and patience in your conversation.  And don't fret the timing.  Now is the favorable time.  We don't know if God will grant us a later.