Auditioning for Life Eternal

When I was a senior in high school, I was heavily involved in the theatre program at school.  Throughout the course of the year, the school held two plays, a variety show, and ended the year with a musical.  Because I had been so engrossed in the theatre coupled with my confidence over the strength of my audition in comparison to the other seniors, I was sure that I would have a lead role in the musical.  In fact, I was certain of it.

Yet, when the casting sheet was finally posted, I found my name farther down the list than I expected and that I believed that I had deserved.  I did receive a lesser part but found it as no conciliation for my disappointment, and as the sheet was posted after classes on Friday, I had all weekend to mope around the house feeling slighted.

Rehearsals were set to begin on Monday, introductions followed by a simple read-through.  Our theatre was ran by a couple, I was never really able to connect with the man, but I had a good relationship with his wife.  After the rehearsal I confronted her to express my frustration, with the only purpose of vocalizing how I felt.

After listening and explaining that she understood how I felt, she said something to me that I knew cognitively but that I never heard articulated from someone whom I had respected so much.  She looked me in the eyes and told me that sometimes, the person who deserves the part is the one who has been working for it for their whole high school careers, and they had earned their leading roles well-before the auditions even took place.  This bit of wisdom is a simple and convicting truth.

At the end, once the mortal thread is clipped and we stand before the Holy Lord Almighty's judgment seat, we will face an audition that our eternity depends upon.  And though every human will stand before God and give their best effort to "gain" admittance into His eternal presence, God grants the grace of heaven to those who have spent their whole lives in consistent faith.  The door to the leading role is Jesus Christ.  In fact, He is the only way.

And no matter how disgruntled we may feel because of judgment's reality, God is just and righteous to place us exactly where we may deserve to be.  If we have been faithful, we will spend eternity in God's presence, but if we have lived a life apart from Him, we will spend eternity damned, condemned, and tormented away from His presence.  In reality, the audition for eternal life is our life itself.  Therefore, so that we would not find ourselves brooding like an immature high school senior at being judged for all eternity, let us keep our focus on the play at hand, which is faith in Christ Jesus alone!