The Dash

The Dash

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 – King James Version).

Have you ever walked through a graveyard? Many tombstones have things written on them, such as; “Beloved Father”; “WWII Veteran”; “Dearest Mother”. The ones that catch my attention the most are the tombstones that list the name and dates, and that is all they say. For example; John Doe, 1903-1972. The “dash” that appears between the dates always catches my attention. I have a tendency to wonder what that “dash” encompasses. The dates simply say the year the person was born and the year that they died. Nothing else is determined by those dates. Without comments on the stone, one is left to ponder what happened in between those years. In other words, what does that dash represent? What all has happened in that life between life and death?

We, who are now alive in the body, are in the midst of our dash. What are we composing to represent our dash?

According to the Scripture from 2 Corinthians, we all will one day stand before God almighty and have to give representation for the things we have done in life between life and death. That, honestly, is a sobering thought for me. What will my dash represent? Many people may one day look at my gravestone and wonder that themselves. One thing is for sure, God knows. He knows every second that constructs our dash.

I want my dash to represent a life lived for God. Paul said, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 – NASB). There is one thing God must see in our dash. He must see that it was constructed on the foundation of Christ Jesus. At the judgment seat of Christ, God “will test the quality of each man's work” (1 Corinthians 3:13b – NASB). That work is what the dash is made of.

How do you feel about your dash today? I am concerned about mine. But I have a hope, and it is built on nothing less than Jesus and HIS righteousness! Man may question my dash, but I desire that God see only Jesus blood in mine. It is my sincerest craving that my dash be blotted over by Christ living in me. I want to surrender moment to moment to Christ, so that in that Day of Judgment Christ may look into a mirror.

I find this heart tingling! Of course, I do not see this as easy, and know it must consist of CONSTANT SURRENDER, but I want my dash to mean something.

I care not what man may see when he looks upon tombstone. I do hope that man, too, will see Christ in me. I earnestly hope my dash is a testimony. I pray that much of God will be seen in my life, even beyond the grave. I pray that my stone may record a life lived for God. Beyond that, God knows what man can only assume. In HIS holy eyes, what does your dash say about you today?