There is nothing like the regret of wanting to say something to someone, putting it off, then only to learn of their death and realize you have blown it. It happens all the time. Most funeral weeping is done by people who have great regret for not spending time or not saying what they should have to the deceased.
Walter Green said he was greatly inspired to “say it now” as he watched the funeral of a well-known news correspondent who died suddenly. One by one people came to the microphone and gave great praise and expressed honor to the man, but most admitted through tears that they never had taken the time to express these things of great appreciation to him. As a result, Mr. Green resolved to “say it now.” He threw a party for his 80th birthday, but instead of the party being designed to honor him and his accomplishments, he used the occasion and the gathering of 50 of his friends to pay accolades to each one individually before the entire group. From that story spread a movement, something that Mr. Green never really wanted the recognition, only the concept of “say it now.” Since then, people everywhere have caught the vision and are saying it now.
You really can’t go wrong by expressing appreciation and adoration to people while they are living instead of waiting for their funeral. There are many instructions in the Bible to speak words of encouragement and gratitude. Just don’t put it off.
Proverbs 25:25 (ESV) — 25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
Think of how thirsty the people closest to you are for words of appreciation and words that express how you feel. Think how many times you may have turned from helping another person when you had the ability to do so. This would be just “do it now.”
1 John 3:17 (ESV) — 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Proverbs 21:13 (ESV) — 13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
Just say it now is a great admonition when you think of all that God has done for you, but you fail to express gratitude because the time just didn’t seem right. That is no excuse. God is so great and has done so much for each of us that we’ll only regret it later unless we say it now in praise and thanksgiving.
Psalm 100:1–5 (ESV) — 1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Remember what regret those who are “unthankful” now shall experience in the coming judgment.
2 Timothy 3:2–5 (ESV) — 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV) — 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Gratitude is important and you think of people who deserve it, but even more how much God deserves your gratitude. Just “say it now.”
There are other areas that may seem to be “minor” things, but nothing is minor when it comes to obeying the commandments of God. When you think of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you, aka “the Golden rule,” consider also the words of Jesus:
Luke 6:35–38 (ESV) — 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. 37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
It takes deciding ahead of time you will do whatever Jesus says to do and it takes discipline to do it now and not put it off. Consider the importance of each point on the list above and how easy it would be to put it off, but in doing so means holding back the blessing of simply following the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Say it now” means no regrets, just like doing things without procrastination means no regrets. Procrastination of things we know we should do but don’t puts us in the line of the “sluggard” as described in the book of Proverbs and you don’t want to be labeled as a sluggard.
Proverbs 24:30–34 (ESV) — 30 I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, 31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. 32 Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. 33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Avoid the slothfulness of putting things off and just do them or say them now. You will be glad you did.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
