Repentant Thief

This piece has a story behind it - one, I hope, everyone can learn from.

I was talking to my mom as she and I looked through family photos. Our conversation meandered into our purposes in life. She asked me, "Do you think I still have a purpose?"

Wow! Part of me was stunned that such a godly, loving, caring woman - a spiritual mother to many, many, many people - would ask me if she had a purpose.

Although I had to admit I didn't know what her purpose was, I also assured her that she did, indeed, have a purpose - even if that purpose was only known to God. That's when the story of the repentant thief came to mind. Paraphrased, here's what I told her...

"When Jesus was crucified, there were two thieves being crucified too. At first, both men insulted and ridiculed Him along with soldiers and others. But, eventually, one of them came to realize Jesus was Who He claimed to be and, still, He was under the same condemnation as them even though He'd done nothing wrong. Upon this realization, the thief asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His Kingdom and Jesus told him, 'Today you will be with Me in paradise.'

Think about this: a man who was being crucified and who would shortly go into eternity - one who had NO opportunity to preach to anyone or even show that he had been eternally changed because of his request of Jesus - never realized his purpose until he stepped into paradise with Jesus that very day.

And, yet, his purpose is CLEAR to us.

Literally BILLIONS of people know this man's story and testimony - he could do nothing (he couldn't be baptized; he didn't ask to see friends or family members to tell them of his 'new life' nor did he call out a proclamation of God's goodness to anyone watching him hang there and suffer) but act on what was made clear to him about Who Jesus is. Yet, he entered into Heaven just as surely as he had been a lifelong disciple of the Son of Man.

In other words, God made a criminal's last act purposeful.

The purpose is not to show us that we'll all have one last chance to come to Christ before we transition into eternity (either into Heaven or Hell) but, rather, that Jesus is ready, willing and able to accept anyone, regardless of their station in life or their ability to do anything for Him, who acknowledges Who He is and asks, even in the simplest, most childlike manner, to be with Him.

So, if the repentant thief had a purpose while stuck on the cross, I'll guarantee that WE do too. If you don't currently know what your purpose is, just follow the advice I was given by Pastor Jack Little:

'Just do what you know would make God happy and you'll figure out what His purpose is for you.'"

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