How a person dies is no measure of his greatness. You’d think that if a person is truly great, then God would give him a noble death. But that is often not true. Some of the most despicable persons will die in peace. Some of the greatest men ever to have lived will die like a dog. Therefore, how a person dies is no indication of his greatness. It is the reward he gets AFTER he dies that matters!

John the Baptist is the case in point. Mark 6 describes how he died. His head was cut off because a little dancing girl wanted his head on a platter! (You can read about it in Mark 6). In human terms, it can seem like the most meaningless death. It wasn’t like he was fighting a battle and died a warrior. It wasn’t like he was being martyred for his faith (although it really was). It was because a dancing girl wanted to see his head on a platter! A dancing girl!!!

Do not judge a person by how he dies. Judge a person by how he is rewarded in heaven. Only God is the just judge. If we were to judge John the Baptist’s life by how he died, we’d think he was cursed by God. He must’ve done something wrong in his life to deserve such seemingly vain death. But Jesus said of him, “There is no other man born among women who is greater than John!” 

God alone is the judge of our character. It is not the accolades we get from the world. It is not how many people know us. It is not how many friends we have on Facebook. It is not even how we die. It is how God will recognize us after we die.

Work for that day. Work for God alone, for His glory alone!

PH