I really thought he’d change his mind

In A New Hope, as the others are preparing for the assault on the Death Star, Leia meets up with a depressed-looking Luke.

She asks him what is wrong. Luke answers, “Oh, it’s Han! I don’t know. I really thought he’d change his mind [and would stay to help].”

Leia compassionately answers him, “He’s got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.”

Han made his decision to take the reward money and pay off some old debts he had. That seems very reasonable, especially after his confrontation with Greedo in the Cantina.

His timing seems suspect. When the Alliance needed him, and everyone, to pitch in and help, Han decided to leave.

Timing in life is critical. We have all experienced the pain of missing a special moment by a few moments and also experienced the joy of something special.

The problem in life is that we never know how much time we have left. The decisions we make every day affect our lives tomorrow. But we are not promised tomorrow.

The most significant decision we have to make in life is what we are going to do with Jesus. We will either reject Jesus and His claims, or we will receive He, believe Him, and live out His commands.

There is no time like now to accept Him. As 2 Corinthians 6:2b tells us, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

We cannot decide for anyone but ourselves.

What we can do today and every day is to make a conscious effect to share the Gospel with people.

Memorize 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 or put a screenshot of it on our phones.

It takes just a few seconds to read it to an unbeliever that we meet. Those few seconds could help them make a decision that matters for eternity.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me[Paul].