Mark 8:36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
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Steve
Jobs, in one of his taped interviews before his death said the
following:
“You're
born alone, you're gonna die alone.”
Further
on in the interview, on the subject of why Steve Jobs wasn't operated
on immediately when he discovered he had pancreatic cancer, Steve
Kroft asked Isaacson, “How
could such a smart man do such a stupid thing? ”
As
I thought about this news item on 60 minutes and about Steve Jobs
life, I couldn't help but apply this question to Jobs statement,
“You're
born alone, you're gonna die alone”.
How did he miss the entire point of life? Did he ignore the evidence
all around him? Was he presented the gospel by a born-again
Christian? Was he unusual in his thoughts or is this what most
Americans -- most people think? Am I the only one who is asking
these questions?
Now
I know he is only one soul but still it was a soul so precious that
Jesus died on the cross to provide forgiveness and eternal life to
even Steve Jobs. So many scriptures race to the forefront of my mind
contradicting his statement “You're
born alone, you're gonna die alone.”
Psalms
139:7-10: “Where
can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If
I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell,
behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell
in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead
me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
Later
on in that same chapter vv 13-16:
“For
You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I
will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous
are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not
hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in
the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet
unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned
for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
During
all of our life (and beyond) He has promised those who are born again
that: "I
will never leave you nor forsake you."
(Heb 13:5b)
That
scripture alone covers the rest of eternity, but to be a bit more
specific the Bible also says: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17: But
I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. “For if
we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring
with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word
of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will
rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
Did
you note that Christians who had already left this life COME
BACK WITH HIM!!
Later
in the interview, Isaacson said Steve Jobs started talking about God
in this manner.
"Sometimes
I believe in God, sometimes I don't. I think it's 50-50 maybe. But
ever since I've had cancer, I've been thinking about it more. And I
find myself believing a bit more. I kind of-- maybe it's 'cause I
want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn't just
all disappear. The wisdom you've accumulated. Somehow it lives on."
Then he paused for a second and he said, "Yeah, but sometimes I
think it's just like an on-off switch. Click and you're gone."
How
can so many people, Steve Jobs included come to such a wrong
conclusion? Again scripture supplies answers, even when we might not
want to hear them.
Romans
1:18-25: “For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has
shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without
excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as
God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and
their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they
became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an
image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals
and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness,
in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped
and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever. Amen.”
Steve
Jobs was a billionaire; a man many almost worshiped. If you don't
believe that, you don't follow the tech world closely as I
do.....Believe it! Yet his life had what purpose? Maybe you heard
one during the interview.....I didn't. Did his products have an
effect on the world? Certainly! Will his name show up in history
books....probably, for a while. Yet is that it?? Is that what life is
about? To make some products that people really like and use AND to
be put in a history book? Maybe that was enough for Steve Jobs but
not for me. My father, who has long ago 'graduated to glory' used to
say something like this.....”After
you have died (as the world calls it), after 6 weeks the people at
your job will have replaced you and will hardly think of you. After 6
months only very few people will think of you on a regular basis. In
60 years no one alive on the earth will ever know you existed”.
That is so true BUT......if you are a born again Christian, God
doesn't forget your name....doesn't forget you because you'll be with
Him!
So
what is the point of life? Certainly many more eloquent could say it
better but here's my shot at it. The point of life is to be born
again, to live a God inspired life so that you can affect (maybe
infect is a word that would work as well) others for Jesus. To prepare in
this short, short life for the next life which is eternal. I choose
God and heaven for the next life. What about you?
God
bless all who bless HIS name!
Brother
Dave
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