(Wisdom Wednesday) You Mean… I’m Eventually Going To Die?
American radio and television writer Andrew Rooney said, “Death is a distant rumor to the young.” There is certainly some wisdom in this saying. When I was young(er) I never really thought much about death… but the reality is that of the few things that are absolutely certain in this life, death is one of them. An Italian proverb says, “Six feet of earth makes us all equal.” It doesn’t matter how successful you become, how rich, or how happy… eventually we all will die. Unfortunately, many of us (especially the young) live and function as if there will never be a day when time will come to an end.
Right now, we worry about all sorts of things. Where will I work? What will I wear? What will I eat? Who will I marry? Will I have children? We place so much emphasis on what we will do, but the truth is that our great grandchildren will probably not know much about us at all. Take me for example, I hardly know anything about my great grandparents on my father’s side of the family… and very little about the ones on my mother’s side. They lived only 100 or so years ago… but the memory of them is mostly gone. They worried about the same things I worry about, but sadly no one remembers their worries and no one will remember mine.
When I was in college (and ever since), I have been through several health difficulties. Prior to that, I didn’t really think much about the fact that one day I would die. After experiencing those struggles, I realize now that the time I have left is getting shorter and shorter… and the truth is, I’m not guaranteed to even make it to a ripe old age. A lot of times, we don’t really think about death until it comes knocking on our door, or something happens in our lives to help us realize our finiteness.
As I went through my health struggles over the past 9 years or so, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I am really here for. As a result, I now realize that I better be prepared for death when the time comes. This is especially true in light of the fact that I am probably going to die in the next 50 years unless I make it to eighty, and I most likely will not be remembered in another 100 years.
There are many religious views in the world that say a variety of things about what happens after death… but since they contradict one another, they can’t all be true! My encouragement to you today is to figure out what the purpose of your life is and seek to do it to the best of your ability. Also, I want to encourage you to seek out the truth about death. Don’t put it off because you are young and healthy, and don’t just believe what your family has passed down to you from generation to generation… they may be wrong! Think for yourself, ask questions, read books, explore the evidence, and be ready for death when the time comes for you to go.
I believe that the purpose of life and the remedy for death is knowing God in a personal way. If you would like to learn more about this, see this article: Knowing God Personally. Also, if you would like to talk with me more about this, please contact me through Facebook message or the contact box on the home page.
