Fame and Fortune could not save Jade Goody

I do not normally invest my time following celebrity news nor do I endorse Christians doing so either, I believe as believers we should completely separate ourselves from the world. However there are some stories that come to our attention even as believers because although we are not of the world, we still are in the world, 1 John 2:15. I did not feel it was right for me to blog about a celebrity, but then again I thought this is such a tragic story about life and death, and the issue of faith has already been raised a few times , so why should I not write about it for God's glory. My husband and I were discussing it yesterday and he too thought it was a good idea for me to blog about it. Its the tragic story everyone is talking about. The nation is watching as the most talked about British reality Television personality dies of cervical cancer. Despite her fame and her millions, there is nothing the doctors can do to save the life of Jade Goody, she has been told she has about six weeks left to live. Her story has touched the nation, that even the Prime Minister Gordon Brown has wished her well.

At 27 Jade Goody is only a year older than me. Jade, like me is also a young mother so I can imagine the pain she must be experiencing knowing that within weeks her children will no longer have their mother. Since she was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, Jade has since said she now thinks about spiritual things, she said she never used to be a church going person, but she now reads her bible and prays to God. She has said what hapened to her made her appreciate the gift of life even more. She has recently said she wants her two boys Christened so that they can know Jesus and be able to communicate with her when she is gone. This is what breaks my heart the most about this tragic story. A woman on her death bed, who believes reading her bible and praying to God will send her to heaven. A dying mother who believes in the unbiblical act of christening and that her boys will find Jesus through it. A dying mother who believes that she will be able to communicate with her sons when she is gone, and that she will be in heaven, yet there is not one verse in the bible that supports her thinking. What saddens me is Jade Goody's false belief about God, about Jesus Christ and about Christianity. I can't help but think; has anyone ever witnessed to Jade? Does she know the gospel of Jesus Christ? Does she know that we are justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ,not by Christening, not by bible reading, not by prayer, not by going to church. Does Jade know John 3:16 that For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that those who will believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life? Does she know that Christ came into the world to save sinners like her, 1 Timothy 1:15. Does Jade Goody know that unless she repents and believes, when she dies in the next few weeks she will spend eternity in Hell. Has anyone warned Jade Goody of the wrath that is to come, that the only thing that is left for her to experience when she dies is the Holy wrath of the Almighty God. It is a fearful thing, to fall in the hands of the living God, Hebrews 10:31. Many people are saying that Jade did not deserve to die like this. Sadly what these ignorant people fail to realise is that we all deserve to die like Jade. We all deserve a horrible excruciating painful death. The truth is we get what we don't deserve, life, health, families, wealth, food etc. If we all got what we deserved, God would strike us all dead this minute, but because God is full of mercy and slow to wrath, but He is long suffering towards us, willing that we should come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9.

However I am thankful that at least something good has come out of Jade's tragedy, many women in Britain have now booked to have the smear tests they used to ignore and there is now more awareness about cervical cancer since Jade's diagnosis. Jade's case is so sad because her cancer was missed by doctors for 3 years, by the time it was discovered it was too late. She has said she is not angry with the doctors who failed to detect her cancer sooner, I do commend Jade for that. I read that she asked the question," Why would God not give me the chance to watch my sons grow?" When I read that I thought here is a woman who understands the sovereignty of God. To some degree she knows that God willed for this to happen to her, that God has in his sovereignty allowed this tragedy. It made me think, as a young mother myself with three young children, what would I do if I were to find myself in Jade's situation? I am not afraid of death, for I know exactly where I would go if the Lord would call me home today, for death has lost its sting. But I would find it extremely painful to leave my young children without a mother. I want to watch them grow, I want to teach them the things of God, I want to watch my boys, God willing, grow into godly men who will serve Him with all their hearts, I want to see my daughter develop into a virtuous young woman, I so want to see the rewards of my work in my children when they are adults. So would I surrender to the will of God, and say blessed be His name, if I was in Jade Goody's situation? God have mercy on me, that's a painful place for any mother to be in. My heart goes out to this woman, even though I have not necessarily agreed with her lifestyle and the things she has done. I do not know Jade but I do not want her to go to Hell, I do pray that just like the thief on the cross, who looked unto Jesus at the moment of death, I hope Jade too will look unto Christ and call upon His name. Unless she turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, Jade as rich as she is, as famous as she is, she has no other hope. Jade by the looks of it, even on her death bed is still hanging to her fame. Jade has publicised every detail of her illness since her diagnosis. She is still being filmed for her reality TV show, and her death may be seen on TV. She says she is doing this for her two sons, that they may be financially secure in life and have the best education money can buy. Jade already has enough money to secure her children's future financially, she does not need to take things this far, how would her two boys feel when they are older, when they learn that every detail of their mother's death was on national television and in every paper and in every magazine. Jade has to know that its not all about money, or the best education or the best chances in life. We were not created for ourselves but for God, to glorify Him alone. All things were created by Him and for Him, Colossians 1:16. The greatest need her boys have is not money or the best education, their greatest need is spiritual, because of their total depravity they need a saviour to save them from the wrath that is to come. Does Jade know that she and her boys were created by God for Himself? May God grant Jade repentance and may those who love the Lord pray for this young woman, that her eyes may be opened before it is too late.