It’s not common for people in decent health to think of death. Most of us feel invincible. We’re aware we’ll die someday, but it always seems as if that is a long way away. People who are focused on death generally are thought to have some sort of mental or emotional problem. The real problem is as long as we remain oblivious to the frailty of our life, we will be less apt to make every moment count.
Assuming death is years or even decades away tends to make us less focused on doing what matters most in life right now. That leads to a life diametrically opposed to the one Jesus instructed us to live.
An over fascination with death would not be a good thing, but an awareness of the fact it could happen any moment is a healthy attitude for Christ followers. We have a part to play in the mission of Jesus, and if we waste our days pursuing things other than the Kingdom, we will never fulfill the purpose for which we were each created. There should be a sense of urgency in the lives of those of us who are committed to serving Jesus. His own life lasted only thirty-two years, and His ministry spanned only three or four years; but look at everything He packed into that short period. Jesus knew every day mattered, and He made every moment count.
This is our model and our challenge. Are we living our lives in a way that maximizes the impact of every day? Speaking from both personal experience and observation, we are wasting time and ultimately wasting our lives. We are wasting the gifts and opportunities God has given us. Instead of living each moment focused on the mission of Christ, we spend our days engrossed in our own affairs desperately seeking to survive in an increasingly cruel and brutal world. As it has been said many times by many people, this life is not about us. If you think it is, you’ll spend an unfulfilling seventy or eighty years here on earth, and an eternity apart from your Creator.
It’s not about us; it’s all about God. He created us to worship and enjoy a relationship with Him. We messed that up about 10,000 years ago and have only made it worse in the years that followed. A couple thousand years ago, Jesus came to earth and walked as one of us so He could demonstrate the way life with God was supposed to be. He came to show us the truth about God’s character and to dispel all the lies Satan had perpetuated about Him. Jesus showed that God would do anything to restore the relationship with us. He proved the love of God knows no limits. And now, He only asks we continue that mission by loving and worshipping God at all times, and serving all people with an unconditional love.
This is what it’s all about, and we have a very limited amount of time to work towards this goal. Your neighbor or you could die tonight. If that happens, will you know you did everything you could to share the love and truth of Jesus with them? There are no guarantees on our time. The only thing we can do is to serve God right here, right now, in this moment. It could be your last, or it could be the last for the person with whom you come into contact. Stop living as if it’s all about you. Live for God, and do it with urgency.