Today I was reminiscing on what it means to live life. Comparatively, I thought about it as a one way ticket to God. Most people and I say most because some have never had the luxury of being able to go on a vacation or plan a trip to a specific destination. Individuals search around for places they may have never been or locations they would like to see. Usually, these places have something about them that is unique that attracts the traveler to the destination. Perhaps, it is a waterfall, beach or a park. Maybe, it is the peacefulness and quiet of the destination. Whatever the reason for the choice it has something that attracts the person who is searching. Much like our search for God. There is something that God has that attracts us to choose salvation as our final destination. Unlike a ticket for a vacation which could cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars and offers a return trip to the world we live in, salvation costs us nothing and is only a one way ticket to God.

While on vacation a person is a tourist. There are many sights to see. An individual measures their experience on what went well or not so well while on vacation. Most times those experiences are determined by the level of service others provided to them while on vacation. When the individual returns he or she evaluates their trip based on those experiences. The person chooses whether or not this is a destination they will visit again or refer to a friend. A one way ticket to God is not much different then a roundtrip vacation. People who choose to get a one way ticket to God, measure their desire to keep the ticket based on other people’s experiences and the level of service they receive from others who accepted the one way ticket to God. The question then becomes; How is a individual serving God and others in a way that when the free ticket is offered it is so attractive that they can’t resist choosing the free one way ticket to God?

What type of Christian is a person displaying towards others? Is it the one who loves others despite their imperfections and their flaws? Is it the one who gets angry but does not use that anger to intend to harm others, so that they do not sin? Is it the one who does not judge a person or condemn them for their sin but instead leads them to God’s grace and forgiveness? Or have we forgotten God’s standard? To love God and others (1 John 4:21). To simply say we love others without actually loving them makes us liars. What makes people who do not know Christ want to be attracted to receiving a free one way ticket to God? I ask the question because as I was pondering how far people are from God’s standard even in the church of God today. Yet, we want individuals to accept God’s one way ticket at face value when what they see is body divided by emotions.

God has set the body of Christ to a higher standard. A standard that teaches people to be an example of who God is and to demonstrate his attributes. God is not hateful, unkind, unjust, disrespectful or dishonorable. He does not lie, cheat or deceive others. He does not steal or kill. When individuals fall below the standard of God it waters down the message of the gospel which leads others away from accepting a one way ticket to God. For example, if I go on vacation to Disney and the characters in costume are rude, chances are I am not going back. How then can individuals expect people to want to have any part of the body of Christ when they see things like hate, unkindness, disrespect, lying, cheating, and stealing happening within the body of Christ? As a Christian ask yourself; Am I meeting the standard God has set for the body of Christ? If people do not get to a place where the standard of God is being met, then the God others will see is no different then the world. Why would they ever want a free one way ticket to God? As the body of Christ individuals need to get back to the basics and uphold God’s standards.

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