A Tribute to Rob - To God be the Glory

Tuesday I took the day off of work to attend the funeral of a dear family friend.

This service was a tribute to his life. But in just the way he would have wanted: it was not about him, but about Jesus.

Rob lived a life in which he was passionate about Jesus. He wanted to learn more about Jesus through studying the Bible. Rob had his Masters of Divinity and had served as a pastor in the past, but even when leaving work in the church and working in “real jobs” he still devoured books and the Scripture. In 2002, Rob was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). As his physical condition deteriorated, he kept his mind sharp and his spirit fresh by continuing to read and study.

Rob wanted to exhibit Jesus in his daily life. His family life, public life, and every aspect in between that I knew of Rob were intertwined with a loving and gracious tenderness towards people and a steadfast contentment in all situations in which God placed him. Even as his ALS progressed, Rob never complained of his physical ailments, but took it all in stride as being exactly where God would have him be. Rob wholeheartedly believed that God, in His absolute sovereignty and wisdom, had Rob in this situation. Rob believed that God could and would be made much of in his physical condition. And believe you me, God was, has been, and is being made much of in the physical ailments that afflicted Rob and particularly in which the way Rob (and his whole family) handled those trials.

Rob also wanted to share Jesus with any and everyone with whom he came in contact. You would have been hard pressed to make it anymore than a few minutes in Rob’s presence without him, in some way or another, bringing Jesus into the conversation. He passionately desired that others know Jesus; to know Him in His suffering and the power of His resurrection. That Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the cross that we might have eternal life and, in that eternal life, glorify our God who is in Heaven.

As I sat and listened to the service honoring this man, and intended to glorify God, I knew that Rob would be more than happy to see his life’s passion continuing even after he had left us. That even in his death, God was and is being glorified.

I say all this to remind myself and anyone reading it, that “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” (C.T. Studd)

“Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”
-Ecclesiastes 2:11

I am far too guilty of waste. And I don’t expect this to change overnight. But I can’t help but pray that God continually brings Rob’s life to my mind and uses it to challenge and grow me into the man that He would have me be; a man who lives and dies as well as Rob did. To God be the Glory.