I’ve been thinking about this post for a few weeks now – I’m
finally going to sit down and put it into words. The subject matter may seem morbid to some; I’m
going to talk about the mortality of human beings. But I hope that you will read to the end and will
discover that Christians have no need to
think about death as being morbid.
I remember when I first started thinking about my own
mortality. I was 34 years old and was in
the couple months’ waiting period between the possibility of cancer and an
actual diagnosis. While waiting, I had plenty
of time to think about what the future would hold – not only for me but for my
husband and our two sons, a grade-schooler and a preschooler. You see, before diagnosis, there is no
prognosis; so I literally didn’t know at that point in time whether I was dying
soon or would be able to live a longer life, continuing to raise my children
and sharing life with my husband and them for years to come. I began to think about things like planning
my memorial service and writing letters for my children to read on special
occasions like graduations, weddings, etc.
After all, there was no guarantee that I would still be here for those
events. Fortunately, while my diagnosis
was indeed cancer, my prognosis was very good – and I am still here over 25
years later! But it made me face some
hard issues early in life, and I grew as a result.
Why am I thinking about this subject today? A couple weeks ago I attended a memorial service for someone younger
than me whose battle with cancer didn’t end the same as mine. Less than a year ago there was another
service for another younger friend. The
chronic health issues my husband and I have offer more of an uncertain future for us than for many
our age. And my group of junior
high/high school friends who get together for lunch annually are all reaching
an age milestone this year. Without identifying a number, let’s just say
that we are entering the decade where words like retirement, social security,
and Medicare begin to take on personal meaning!
But as much as we Americans like to imagine that we can
control and plan for the end of our lives, the truth is that we have no control
whatsoever (Psalm 139:16). There
are no guarantees in life. Most of
those who have a hefty retirement plan will also leave a hefty amount of that
money to those who come after them. That
doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to plan for the future; but Jesus seems to make it
clear in his Sermon on the Mount that we are not to store up treasures here on
earth or worry about how we’re going to get food or clothing (Matthew 6:19-21 & 25-32). “But
seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will
be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12), had trouble
understanding what he called “the futility of this life”. If our plans for ourselves can’t guarantee the
desired outcome, then what’s the point?
But, in Ecclesiastes 3:11,
Solomon discovered an important truth: God
has put eternity into our hearts. In
other words, this world and the lives we
live on earth are neither the end nor the point. We were created by God for a life of
relationship with him that will last forever.
As the old song says,
This
world is not my home – I’m just a-passing through
My
treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The
angels beckon me from heaven’s open door
And
I can’t feel at home in this world
anymore.
I don’t know about you, but I am encouraged when I remember
that, no matter how wonderful, rewarding, joyful, or fulfilling my life on
earth is or has been, it pales in light
of eternity. This truth also
encourages me when my life is difficult, sad, or not what I planned or hoped
for. Both aspects of life – positive and
negative – happen to everyone over the course of a lifetime. Focusing on eternal things instead of earthly
things can make all the difference in our attitudes and the success of how we
live our lives. Eternal focus brings eternal success and eternal rewards – even if
our lives don’t look like those around us and defy human or cultural
expectations. We’re not supposed to “feel
at home” in this world! According to
Solomon, the whole duty of man is to fear
God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes
12:13). Both life and end-of-life
issues become much simpler when our focus remains on loving and pleasing God
first and foremost. He will take care of
everything else.
