Billy Graham was a giant in the preaching world, a faithful witness of Christ, and a key player in the lives of America’s religious and political leaders for over 50 years. His ministry touched many, converted millions, and spanned the globe on a scale unmatched by anyone in the protestant world. You would think with all of the success in his apostolate, he’d be one of the, if not THE most satisfied preacher in the world.

And yet, he wasn’t.

He had regrets.

He struggled.

According to his own website:

Although I have much to be grateful for as I look back over my life, I also have many regrets. I have failed many times, and I would do many things differently. For one thing, I would speak less and study more, and I would spend more time with my family.

Here we have not only a professional Preacher, but e legendary one a that, who wished that he would have “spoken less and studied more.” More importantly, that he would have spent more time with his family.

Catholic man or woman in today’s age share in Billy’s struggle. We are constantly attempting to figure out what we should do to satisfy the mission of the Church. Should we teach catechism? Help run the day care? Lead a prayer group? Subscribe to a Bible study? Take a Catholic course? Pursue a religious vocation? Volunteer at the local soup kitchen?

With so many options to advance Christ’s kingdom, we oftentimes turn a blind eye to the real reason God placed us on the earth. Our primary vocations to our marriages, our children, and to our own health, get overlooked because we desire to “do God’s will” through our apostolate.

To that, Mr. Graham continues:

“When I look back over the schedule I kept thirty or forty years ago, I am staggered by all the things we did and the engagements we kept. Sometimes we flitted from one part of the country to another, even from one continent to another, in the course of only a few days. Were all those engagements necessary? Was I as discerning as I might have been about which ones to take and which to turn down? I doubt it. Every day I was absent from my family is gone forever. Although much of that travel was necessary, some of it was not.

 

I would also spend more time in spiritual nurture, seeking to grow closer to God so I could become more like Christ. I would spend more time in prayer, not just for myself but for others. I would spend more time studying the Bible and meditating on its truth, not only for sermon preparation but to apply its message to my life. It is far too easy for someone in my position to read the Bible only with an eye on a future sermon, overlooking the message God has for me through its pages.

 

And I would give more attention to fellowship with other Christians, who could teach me and encourage me (and even rebuke me when necessary).”

As we continue to mourn the death of our beloved brother in Christ, may we remember not only his zeal for souls, but, more importantly, his humility in recognizing his limitations. May we not wait until the end our lives to “speak less and study more;” and to “spend more time with [our] families.”

And so, to honor Mr. Graham in his newfound celestial glory, I give him the final words of this post:

“About one thing I have absolutely no regrets, however, and that is my commitment many years ago to accept God’s calling to serve Him as an evangelist of the Gospel of Christ.”