I can only imagine the shock of someone finding out that they have some rare form of cancer, or that they will soon be dying. That kind of news is something we all worry about hearing some day. Yet, we are all doomed to die eventually. The Bible says,
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27)
What Would You Do If You Found Out You Were Dying Soon?
Have you ever really stopped to consider what you would do if you had only a short time to live? What if you were told today that you would die within a year? A month? A week? A day? What would you do? What would you want to accomplish? Would your behavior change? Would you treat people differently? Would you pray and beg God to save your life? Would you be in more of a hurry to accomplish goals in your life?
It is sometimes difficult to really comprehend the fact that one day we will die on this Earth. The Bible says God placed eternity in the heart of man, and I believe it. It really feels as if death is something so bizarre. Like it will never happen to me (or you). As if it is something that happens to “other people.” Yet we are guaranteed a death on this Earth (the only exception being if the rapture happened first).
We don’t know when our time will come in most cases, and we must do the best we can every day. In Eccleisiastes, Solomon writes of death like this:
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. (Ecclesiastes 9:12)
It is true that death often comes as a surprise to many of us. It may sneak upon us when we least expect it. Perhaps we are exercising one day and have a heart attack. Or we get some rare cancer next year. Or we get in a car accident tomorrow.
I sometimes look into the future and think, “will I be alive this time next year? What about 20 years from now? What about 50? How will I die? When will I die?” Of course, death isn’t the end. I have faith in God’s promise of eternal life, and that His children will exist with Him for eternity. But our time on Earth is limited.
I Have Some Bad News…You Are Dying Right Now
wooden hourglass
When I was younger I remember my sister had one of these small “hourglasses.” An hourglass is a small glass container that is filled with some material such as sand. It is used to measure time, and when you turn it upside down, it will usually take an hour for the sand to fall down into the bottom.
My sister’s “hourglass” wasn’t truly an hourglass, because a true hourglass should take approximately one hour for the sand to fall down into the bottom. Instead, my sister’s only took about 5 minutes.
I mention the old hourglass, because the second we were born something happened in our life: An hourglass was turned from one side to another, and the sand started to slowly fall down into the bottom. God alone knows when our last grain of sand will fall down, and our last breath leaves our body. We have no idea when that will be, but make no mistake, the sand grains in your hourglass are falling even as you read this article right now. Eventually, the last sand grain will fall, and your life on Earth will be over.
Each day, we are one step closer to death. Even though I’m still relatively young, I can see time working on my body. A few gray hairs here and there, and the starting of a wrinkle or two. Even in you, the same aging process is happening right now. Free radicals are breaking down your cells as we speak. You may not notice it, but it continues to happen daily.
Yep, there is no doubt about it, I am dying right now, and so are you. Granted, it may be a slow process that takes several years, or even several decades, but we are progressing to that point nonetheless. Some will die sooner, others later, but we are all dying right now.
You Are Already Dying, So Why Not Live Like It?
That Tim Mcgraw song, “Live Like You Were Dying” is so true. In the song, he talks about his dad getting his cancer diagnosis. The whole song talks about how his dad actually started to “live,” after he found out he was going to die. He goes skydiving, and does all sorts of fun things. The song talks of him riding a bull, loving and forgiving people, reading the Bible, and more during that time. He says, “I hope some day you get the chance…to live like you were dying.”
I imagine that many people would do something similar. If we truly knew we had a very short amount of time, and yet we still have good health to do anything we wanted, how many of us would truly start to live? Wouldn’t we forgive people of the wrongs they did to us? Wouldn’t we want them to forgive us. Wouldn’t we want to tell the people around us how much they truly mean to us?
Wouldn’t we finally have no fear to conquer our dreams and goals? After all, what do we have to lose? We know we will die, so why not take risks now? The fear of failure melts away in the face of death. Why not do the unthinkable? Why not reach for the stars? Death reminds us that we truly have nothing to lose in this world–it will be lost one day anyway.
Conclusion: Fill Yourself with God-Have Faith, and Live Now
Some people get so bored with life, they almost feel as if they are dead on the inside already. They hate their jobs, they are scared to take risks, they are unhappy with relationships, and more. They get attached to things that are truly meaningless such as money, status, fame, and more. Those things melt away in the face of death like an ice cube in a hot skillet.
I too have felt that way before. I have felt like life was miserable and pointless. God has really turned that around. The more faith I have in God, the happier I am. The more I follow God’s word, the deeper the joy I have in my heart grows. I tell you the truth, I have never felt so alive as when I had a complete faith in God, and lived my life according to His way. Having faith in God enables me to have faith in everything. With God all things are possible, and I have nothing to lose.
My hope for you is that you live as if you are dying–starting today. Dig deep into your soul, and really focus on the fact that life is a fragile gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift, that is why it’s called the present. Make the most of your gift.
I challenge you to do these things: Pray to God like you are dying, love people like you are dying, forgive people like you are dying, laugh as if you are dying, cry as if you are dying, dream as if you are dying, take risks as if you are dying. Why not truly live life to the fullest now. Why wait until we get bad news, when we already have the bad news? Why wait until we are old or on our deathbed. Live life to the fullest today, and do it with God as your foundation. Have faith in all things. For Jesus said if we had enough faith, we could move mountains just by speaking the word. Without faith, nothing can be accomplished.
I tell you all of this not to scare you. No, I am not one of the “hellfire & brimstone” type of guys. I am simply writing this because quite frankly….you are dying, and so am I.
Are you ready for death? If you died today, would you know 100% in your heart that you are saved from God’s judgment? If not, please pray to God right now asking for the forgiveness of your sins. Place your total faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died so that you may live.