Escaping Hospice
- May 2
- 6 min read
Several years ago, I had a job at a rescue mission. My dad was the CEO and I needed a place where I could hide from the reality that I was no longer in college. And to make matters worse, my hairline was fading faster than my dreams.
At first, the job was simply a way to avoid the public while still earning some money, until one day the facilities director was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Slowly, he began to stop coming to work and the position was left vacant.
I had never witnessed such a dramatic decline in weight and energy this up close and personal. It was as if I could see a piece of his soul each day fading off into the abyss. As his time left on earth began to diminish, he was moved to hospice.
I had always heard of hospice but never truly knew what it meant. Eventually, I learned that it is the place where people come to die. It is a place where mostly everyone has given up on the thought of living. The residents in hospice learn to manage their pain instead of looking for a cure.
It was a very dismal place that could ruin even the most joyous of people's countenance. It wasn't long before the director passed away, but all I can remember is the look on everyone's faces as I walked the halls. Officially, they were considered to be alive but realistically, they were completely void of life.
Unfortunately, whenever men and women who have sincere faith come to America, this is what they see: A country that has everything but life itself. Its christians are plagued with a counterfeit faith that has many claimimg to be alive but even blind Bartimaeus can see the life dripping away.
3 And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [[a]the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. 2 Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight. Revelation 3:1-2 AMPC
After many years of trying to live out each Scripture one by one, I stumbled across a theme in the Gospels that is not normally discussed in the West: The cost of discipleship. Oftentimes, Jesus would warn any of the men or women who wished to follow Him of the price that they had to be willing to pay. With some, the price would be paid with their own blood as martyrs while others would pay by sacrificing the things that they held most dear.
25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]. Matthew 16:25 AMPC
In the western parts of the world, we are taught that in order to truly experience life we must viciously attack our goals and be willing to knock anyone down that comes in our way. In the Gospels, however, we see Jesus - who created life itself - offer a different route that is not so clearly paved. He says that in order to truly experience life, we must completely lose our life in this world, lose sight of our interests, our dreams, our goals, and lay them down at the feet of Jesus.
This seems bizarre to the carnal man. How can we thrive in this world without making plans and visualizing our way to success? It seems like that was the point that Jesus was trying to make: you can't. Striving for success in this world will lead to being a failure for all of eternity.
We see with the rich young ruler that he had everything a man could ask for -- many material things and a few religious boxes checked, but in the end he still questioned his salvation. (Which, if we are being honest, many of us who profess Christ still have this thought in the back of our mind that has plagued mankind for centuries.) However, Jesus tells the man that in order for him to be perfect and inherit the eternal life he was searching for, he must sell all he has, give to the poor, and follow Jesus.
16 And behold, there came a man up to Him, saying, Teacher, what excellent and perfectly and essentially good deed must I do to possess eternal life? 17 And He said to him, Why do you ask Me about the perfectly and essentially good? There is only One Who is good [perfectly and essentially]—God. If you would enter into the Life, you must continually keep the commandments. 18 He said to Him, What [a]sort of commandments? [Or, which ones?] And Jesus answered, You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,19 Honor your father and your mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. 20 The young man said, I have observed all these from my youth; what still do I lack? 21 Jesus answered him, If you would be perfect [that is, [b]have that spiritual maturity which accompanies self-sacrificing character], go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; and come, [c]be My disciple [side with My party and follow Me]. 22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad (grieved and in much distress), for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:16-22 AMPC
We see time and time again that money does not bring true happiness, but we can still be found searching diligently for ways to make a few extra bucks. The men and women of God, however, can be found diligently in pursuit of winning more souls for God's Kingdom.
30 The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men—he gathers and receives them for eternity]. Proverbs 11:30 AMPC
Paul says that he suffered the loss of all things so that he may win Christ and that without this type of commitment, he would only have been making up his own form of righteousness. We must examine ourselves to see if we have truly found Jesus. According to Jesus, the life of a true believer will have signs and wonders to match their faith. If we have a faith that hasn't cost us everything, the sad reality is that we do not actually have a faith -- just a religion that has the appearance of faith but no power.
8 Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One), 9 And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith. Phillippians 3:8-9 AMPC
Jesus advises everyone who is burdened down by societal expectations to come to Him and find true rest. Much similar to the people in hospice, true rest can be found in the release of the pursuit of the things in this world and allowing God's will to come alive through us.
Question of the day: Are you living just to die or would you prefer to die so that you could truly live?
