When I Meet God

Former Navy Seal, Ultra-Marathoner, world record holder, and motivational speaker, David Goggins answered a question about meeting God at the end of his life. 

Goggins said, "I used to weigh three hundred pounds. I was 175lbs in high school [and got up to] 300 pounds. Let's say that I didn't improve myself at all. I die at 75 years old at 300 pounds. I work for Eco Lab my entire life, making $1,000 a month. That's what I made. I go to heaven and you are God (referring to the host). And you have a big long line of people, and I'm standing line. I'm coming up. I'm next, so you have Mary Ann, and you are talking to her, judging her, and I'm like, "What the hell does God have in His hand? What's that paper?" So God tears it away and throws it in the trashcan, and Mary Ann goes walking away. Now you have a piece of paper in your hand. I am next, and God says, "Sit down, David." That's right. It says David Goggins on top of the paper. God gives me the paper, and I look at it. When I'm reading this paper, I see all these amazing things. You were a 185lb athlete. You ran all these crazy races. You broke records. You were a Navy Seal. You were the only person to do this, do that, to do everything. You had a best-selling book. You changed millions of lives. And I look at God, and I say, "This says David Goggins up here, which is my name, God. But this isn't me." I'm like, "I think You gave me the wrong paper." And God says, "No," because God knows all. God sees all. And God looks at me and says, "This is what you should have been." He finished by saying, "I want God to be impressed with how I turn out." 

David Goggins is inspiring on many levels. His life story is one of overcoming obstacles that would have destroyed many people in similar situations. However, when I read this testimony, it sounds similar to a religious person who is striving to become a better version of themselves through adherence to laws designed to modify their behavior. Both have the same goal in mind. They want God to be impressed by what they accomplished in their lives. Nobody knows for sure what it will look like on Judgment Day. God may pass out a piece of paper before He passes judgment. He may wait patiently as each person goes down the list of their accomplishments in life. When you are finished, however, God will ask you one question. "What did you do with my Son?" 

Our accomplishments in life will not make any difference when we are standing before the God of the living and the dead. The only thing that matters to God is, are you spiritually alive to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, or did you deny the gift of God and remain spiritually dead? The Bible is full of examples that tell us that our works, religious or otherwise, are not what "impresses" God to the point that He allows us entrance into Heaven. No evidence is clearer than the words of the Apostle Paul. "If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ (Philippians 3:4-7)."

God gave the Jews the Mosaic Law. Paul claims to have observed it well enough that he felt he could boast of his accomplishments. It sounds similar to the motivation that David Goggins has regarding his worldly accomplishments. However, Paul's conclusion was that his achievements were worthless compared to knowing Jesus Christ. One version of the Bible translates Paul considering his accomplishments as "dung." That is strong language to use when talking about lifelong achievements. There is nothing wrong with making yourself a better person, regardless of how that is defined. However, when you bring God into it, that is when we have to develop standards. Which God are we talking about? What standards are we deciding to keep? Is the goal we have set achievable? Will God honor our efforts? There is only one God. His standard is for us to be as perfect as He is in our efforts. We will never be good enough to stand before Him, and find Him to be impressed enough with our accomplishments to grant us access into His kingdom. God is only impressed with your faith in Jesus Christ.