no regrets?

What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? Matthew 16:26

What is a Christian? Is it someone trying to live his or her life by the example set by Christ? I’m afraid that some of the more public figures claiming Christianity are not following the example so well and this causes non-Christians to remain skeptical. Unfortunately, I can’t have much affect on how others behave.

So, what does being a Christian mean to me? I’m not always sure. I wonder at the definition when Jesus says “to save your life, you will lose it”. I’m often caught between faith and doubt. Thinking about all the death and destruction from the tsunami got me wondering about how precarious living actually is. I really could go at any time, but am I ready? What regrets would I have if I were pronounced terminally ill? You don’t hear about terminally ill patients regretting not making more money or being more successful. The regrets are usually about not spending enough time with family or not doing something “meaningful” with their life. How would I live my life differently if I had a near death experience? One survivor from the tsunami talks about a few days ago being another lifetime. How profound that change must be, almost like losing a life and getting a new one.

Maybe having no regrets is a good litmus test for being Christ-like. Maybe growing in Christ feels a little like a “near death” experience.