If there is one thing that becomes clear to me as I near my fifties – it is that I can’t boast about anything except what Jesus Christ did for me by dying on a cross.

People have all sorts of things written on their headstones: ‘A loving brother, dad, husband, son’, ‘A soldier of the Great War’, ‘Olympic Athlete’ etc. On my headstone, when the time comes, I just want this written: ‘A man redeemed by the grace of God’.

Because that is the truth about me. We try to focus on the substance of someone when they pass away. He or she was Prime Minister for 8 years. He or she worked in banking for 30 years. He or she was kept busy with a large family. Those aspects are important but they don’t actually sum up the substance of who we are. They just describe what we did. And in the light of eternity and an eternal God, it’s not a lot.

If someone did try to write up a career style headstone for me it would be a bit hit and miss. You could mention some accolades – head boy at school, St Andrews University graduate, reporter for five years, copy editor, freelancer. . . But those things would also, if we’re being truthful [as we should for remembrance], have to be matched up by the other truths about me – was unemployed for three years, suffered ill health at times, had anger issues and didn’t always tell the truth (alongside a host of other faults).

Atheists like to use the situation of helping an old lady cross a road when talking about if a person is ‘good’. They say an atheist can help an old lady cross, just as much as a Christian. Yes, that’s true. What is even more true is that there are dozens more old ladies needing to cross roads and both Christian and Atheist fail to help them all. We all fall short of helping every suffering person, whatever our beliefs.

So the summary of a man or woman’s life can only be weighed within the perspective of whole truth. You may have been a member of parliament or a Royal Prince or a CEO of a worldwide company– but what is your secret life like, away from the crowds?

That’s why I know that it wouldn’t be right for nice, flowery things to be written on my headstone. I would prefer people to know the truth – there was nothing worth boasting about my life [although I thank God for blessings given to me of my lovely family, friends and church] except to say that I am saved because of Jesus Christ and that is all you need to know about me. Him and his sacrifice for my sins – and for yours – is all that’s really, really worth talking about.