From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Once there was a woman who seemed to be a perfect example of Christian character: active in her church, respected in her community, above reproach in her personal life, always available to lend a helping hand to others. But when she received the news that she only had a few months to live, she became a totally different person. She quit her job, dropped her old friends, and turned her back on church, saying that she had been good long enough. She spent her last days catching up on all the fun she had missed. She found a new set a friends with no sense of morality and hung out with them at bars and nightclubs. Until the day she died, she scorned everything she had practiced most of her life. Her only appearance in church during those last months was on the day of her funeral, in her coffin.

How could someone who was apparently so upstanding and honorable suddenly throw it all overboard, abruptly turning her back on decency and morality? Only God knows, of course. Only God knows whether her professed faith in Him was genuine, or if it was only to impress others.

We must never set ourselves up as anyone’s final judge. But one thing is clear: Her faith had not changed her on the inside. The lesson is that we should not put trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath (Isaiah 2:22). We must keep our eyes on the One who never disappoints. His name is Jesus and He never changes.

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

Do you have a genuine faith? You can—start here.