There’s a lot of discussion in New Zealand at the moment about euthanasia. Some of those calling for assisted suicide are people we could describe as the ‘worried well’, those anxious about what their life will be like at the end.
Will there be pain? Will there be embarrassment? Will someone have to clean up after me when I go to the toilet? Will I be a stress or inconvenience for my family?
What did Jesus say about worries? ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today’ (Matthew 6, CEV). God knows we worry about plenty of things, but it’s important not to let our worries about the future keep us from being fully present today.
We can trust God to meet our needs. As Jesus said immediately prior to the above words: ‘Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these [things]. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.’
If we’re truly worried about the end of our life, we need to appreciate that the end starts today. The choices we make, the attitudes we build into our lives, the way we invest ourselves in others, and the relationship we have with God is what will determine the quality of the rest of our lives. So let’s ask God to help us give today our best … and see what comes from that.
Christina Tyson
Editor
John 11: 25-26 Common English Bible
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Th ose who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die …’
Hoani 11: 25-26
Ka mea a Īhu ki a ia, ‘Ko ahau te aranga, te ora; ko ia e whakapono ana ki ahau, ahakoa kua mate, e ora anō: e kore anō e mate ake ake ngā tāngata katoa e ora ana, e whakapono ana ki ahau …’