If Today Was The Last Day of Your Life...

What's good everyone?! We're back with another guest post by another gifted thinker who just so happened to put his thoughts down on paper for Simply Dondrae. Jeremiah (Jereme) Simmons is a brother to me who has coached me through life these last just about 10 years since I've given my life to the Lord. Our relationship has literally been LIFE ON LIFE. Graduations, we were both in each others weddings, successes, failures, losses, and wins make up our relationship. I'm so thankful for this dude. Jereme is a Husband, father, and leader who is striving to become a fully devoted follower of Christ. Check out this thought provoking post. Also, make sure you drop by his blog, show him some love, and grab a couple nuggets from Life, Love, & Locs .

I really was taken back when Drae was asked me to do this blog on “challenging yourself to go to that next level in your leadership” for two reasons: 1. I had no clue what I was going to say and 2. I don’t think I’m a good leader but here goes nothing.

The past five months of my life have been filled with death and funerals. Five to be exact, every funeral I went to I had an opportunity to reflect on the person and all the good and bad times we had. The last death struck me the hardest because I was unable to have any closure because I never got an opportunity to create a memory good or bad with the person, which led me to a question one of my mentor’s ask me every time we talk "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me become the best Christian, husband, father, friend and leader I can be. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow the plan GOD has placed your heart.

No one wants to die. Even people who know they are going heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it(except that ONE GUY). And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the distractions of life make you lose focus of the WILL of the FATHER. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out the voice of GOD in your life. And most important, have the courage to follow GOD no matter what the cost. This how you take your leadership to the next level.

So I ask you, "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?