Living Like We Are Dying

Have you ever stopped to really think about your own death?

I do. Maybe that sounds heavy, but if you’ve lived long enough, you’ve seen death close up. And when you’ve seen it, you can’t help but reflect on your own.

King Solomon wrote, “It is better to go to a funeral than to a party. We all must die, and everyone living should think about this” (Ecclesiastes 7:2 NCV).

He also said, “A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time” (Ecclesiastes 7:4 NCV).

I’ve stood by caskets. I’ve watched my dad, my mom, and my sister die up close. I’ve sat at funerals, and as I walked away, I couldn’t help but ask, What about me? Am I ready?

If you’ve ever been to a funeral, you know the pause it creates. It’s a moment that makes you think deeply.

And if you’re someone who says, “I don’t do funerals,” let me encourage you to reconsider. Funerals not only honor the one who has passed, but they also show love to the family left behind. They need you there.

So why would Solomon say it’s better to go to a funeral than a party?

Because funerals bring us face-to-face with what matters most. Parties distract us with laughter and noise, but funerals remind us of truth, our lives here are short, but eternity is forever.

Paul wrote, “We know that our body, the tent we live in here on earth, will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NCV).

That’s our hope. One day, God will give us new bodies. “By his power he will change our bodies to be like his own glorious body” (Philippians 3:21 NCV).

And in eternity, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone” (Revelation 21:4 NCV).

So if I know this, how should it affect me today?

For me, it pushes me to live with urgency. It reminds me not to waste time on things that won’t matter one day. It nudges me to forgive quicker, love deeper, and let go of bitterness.

It makes me more intentional with my words, because I want my family and friends to know what they mean to me. It helps me loosen my grip on possessions, money, and success, because none of that comes with me when I die.

It challenges me to live like eternity is real, to say what I need to say now instead of waiting until tomorrow, to show up for people who are grieving, to be present in the moments that matter, and to keep my eyes fixed on heaven because everything here is temporary.

Jesus said it like this: “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth… But store your treasures in heaven… Your heart will be where your treasure is” (Matthew 6:19-21 NCV).

So how do I think about my own death?

Honestly, with both seriousness and hope. Thinking about dying, helps me live better - and more. My days are numbered, but my eternity is secure in Christ. Death isn’t the end, it’s simply the doorway home. We don’t die, just our bodies do.

We should live like we are dying, because we are.

GOD, help me see eternity in everything. IJNIP amen ♥️