Pastor Scott Gabrielson
The Dash That Defines Us
Next time you pass a cemetery, take a closer look at a gravestone. You will notice something small but significant — a dash. It sits quietly between the date of birth and the date of death. That tiny line represents everything a person ever was: every hope, every fear, every relationship, every decision, every moment of drawing close to God or turning away from Him. An entire life, reduced to a mark.
That dash is time. And once it passes, it cannot be recovered. Every new year carries a certain weight. Not because the calendar holds any magic, but because human life does. Each passing year is a narrowing window — a season in which heaven presses its claim upon the human heart. As 2026 opens before us, here are seven reasons why receiving Christ this year is not merely a good idea. It is urgent.
First: There are No Guarantees on Tomorrow
Have you ever stepped outside on a cold morning, exhaled, and watched your breath form a small cloud in the air — only to see it vanish almost before you could notice it? That is the image Scripture uses for human life. “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” (James 4:14, NLT) We do not fade slowly the way we imagine. Life is here, it matters deeply, and then it is gone — often far more suddenly than anyone expects. The average American lifespan is roughly 78 years. Measured against eternity, that is barely a breath. Jesus once told a story about a successful farmer whose crops produced such an enormous harvest that his barns could not hold it all. He made his plans: build bigger barns, store everything, settle in, and enjoy life. But God said to him, “You fool! You will die this very night.” (Luke 12:20, NLT) The man was not condemned for being productive. He was condemned for assuming that time belonged to him. He planned as though tomorrow was guaranteed and went into eternity completely unprepared to meet God. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not promised. The wisest decision you can make today is to settle where you stand with God — before that opportunity closes.
Second: A Heart That Won’t Stay Neutral
One of the most sobering truths in all of Scripture is this: the human heart does not stay in one place. It is either being softened toward God or hardened against Him. There is no standing still. The writer of Hebrews sounds this alarm clearly: “The Holy Spirit says, ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.’” (Hebrews 3:7-8, NLT) A few verses later, he presses even further: “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:12-13, NLT) Each time a person says no to God, the heart does not simply pause — it becomes a little more resistant. Delay trains the conscience. Repeated resistance reshapes the soul. What feels like patience today can quietly become paralysis tomorrow. To put off receiving Christ is not simply to postpone a decision. It is to drift steadily toward a condition in which surrender becomes harder and harder — until one day it may feel nearly impossible.
Third: A World That Is falling apart
We do not need a theologian to tell us that the world feels unstable. We can feel it ourselves. Nations are in rising tension. Wars spill beyond borders. Economies stagger under debt and uncertainty. Families fracture as shared moral foundations erode. Technology races ahead of wisdom. And amid all of it, the hunger for meaning and genuine hope has never been greater. This is not simply a rough season. It is a profound and ongoing shaking of everything people once trusted for security. No political movement, no economic plan, and no social program has been able to restore the stability that the human heart longs for — because the human heart was not designed to be anchored to any of those things. History is not drifting. It is moving. And the direction it is moving makes the question of where a person stands with God more urgent than ever. In these unsettled times, we desperately need to be in a right relationship with the One who does not shake — the One who can steady us, guide us through His Word and Spirit, and give us the courage and confidence to face whatever comes.
Fourth – No Human Fix for a Spiritual Problem
Here is something our culture resists hearing but desperately needs to understand: the deepest problems facing humanity are not political, economic, educational, or technological. They are spiritual. The most significant issues we face do not live out there in the world. They live inside us. The Bible teaches that every human being carries a broken condition that no system, policy, or self-improvement plan can repair — a heart bent away from God, a conscience stained by guilt, and a soul separated from its Creator. That is not a harsh description. It is an honest one. And it is your condition and mine. We do not need improvement. We need renewal. And only Christ addresses the problem at its root. He does not simply give good advice — He regenerates the heart. He does not simply overlook mistakes — He removes the guilt. He does not simply reform behavior — He creates a person new from the inside out. Through the cross, He reconciles us to God. Through His resurrection, He conquers death. Through His Spirit, He renews the inner life. Christ is not one option among many. He is the only solution for the human condition — the answer every soul was made for.
Fifth The End is Closer Than You Realize
Many people picture God as distant — somewhere far off and hard to reach. They assume that getting right with Him requires years of religious effort, a long list of good works, or some spiritual achievement they haven’t yet managed to earn. But Scripture tells a very different story. The apostle Paul writes with breathtaking simplicity: “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart. And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:8-10, NLT) Christ is not hiding. He is not far away. He is not waiting for you to get your life together before He will receive you. Salvation is not a long pilgrimage or a performance to be perfected. It is near — because the living, risen Christ is near. He is as close as a surrendered heart and a sincere confession of His Lordship. That is not a small thing. It is the most wonderful thing imaginable.
Sixth – Don’t Fall for the Oldest Trick
There is a well-known story about a meeting Satan supposedly called in hell. He gathered his advisors and asked what strategy they should use to cause the greatest possible destruction among people. One suggested telling them there is no heaven. Another suggested telling them there is no hell. But a third voice offered this: “Tell them there is no hurry. Tell them they have plenty of time.” At that, according to the story, the devil leaped to his feet. “That’s it,” he said. “We will convince them there is no hurry — that the most important decisions can always be made later.” That strategy has quietly ruined more souls than open unbelief ever could. Hell is not filled primarily with people who meant to reject Christ. It is filled with people who meant to decide later. Later is the most dangerous word in the spiritual vocabulary. We rarely feel ready. But Christ does not call us when everything is in order — He calls us because everything is out of order, and only He can set it right. His call is always now. To answer it later is to gamble with the only decision that will matter beyond the grave.
Finally – This Year May Be Your Moment
God does not deal with people only in broad historical movements. He meets people in specific moments. A day when Noah entered the ark. An evening when Zacchaeus climbed a tree and came down a changed man. A night when Nicodemus came searching for answers. A moment when a dying thief on a cross heard the most merciful words ever spoken: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43, NLT) Those were not general invitations extended to the masses. They were divine appointments — personal, specific, and unrepeatable. Scripture says, “Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NLT) In 1980, a man named Gary Kendall had what should have been the opportunity of his lifetime. IBM came to him wanting an operating system for their new personal computers. But when their representatives arrived, Kendall didn’t show up — he had gone joyriding in his airplane instead. IBM turned to a young man running a small software company. His name was Bill Gates. Within fourteen years, Gates was worth billions. Kendall, though brilliant, never recovered the ground he lost that day. One writer later observed that he simply did not understand how large the opportunity in front of him truly was. Many people make the same mistake with Christ. They do not grasp how great God’s offer really is — how vast His kingdom, how permanent His salvation, how transforming His grace. This year of 2026 is already full of noise, ambition, distraction, and conflict. It will pass faster than you expect. And when it does, only one decision will truly matter. Christ is near. His invitation is genuine. His mercy is wide open. Don’t wait to answer it later. Don’t assume you have more time. Don’t trade eternity for the false comfort of delay. Turn from your sins. Receive Christ. And in doing so, receive the life you were always meant to live — life that is full, free, and forever.