You may die young…

I’m 41 years old. Most of the funerals I have attended have been for people younger than me. While a few services have been for people a few years older than me, and even fewer have been for people in their 70s and 80s, the vast majority have been for the young. My grandmothers made it to 92 and 100 years old. It was a true privilege to celebrate their lives, but it was also very rare to see someone live that long.

The ever-present reality of young death is even more true for the active duty military and veteran funerals I have attended. You may die young.

Of course service members die in combat, but we also die in training, car accidents, and, in far too many numbers, by our own hand. This is a dangerous life you’re in. (Even if you’re reading this and you’re not in the military, it’s a dangerous world out there- did I mention plane crashes, brain aneurisms, heart attacks, etc?)

I’m sure you spend most of your time avoiding this topic. You avoid funerals, you distract yourself with entertainment, you numb yourself with alcohol or drugs, and you lie to yourself with statements like, “That won’t happen to me.” But let me encourage you to think about the reality that you may die young, and respond accordingly.

Think About It

You could die today. In a week, your family and friends could be gathering together to remember your life and your death. They will grieve you, say nice things about you, show a slideshow of all their favorite pictures of you, make some nice posts on their social media feeds, and then, in their own ways, and in their own time, they will move on with their lives the best they can.

The Bible describes this life with language that highlights its brevity:

• Life is a mist- James 4:14
• Life is a breath- Job 7:7, 7:16; Psalm 39:5, 39:11, 144:4
• Life is a passing shadow- Job 8:9, 14:2; Psalm 39:6, 144:4; Ecclesiastes 6:12
• Life is a plant that sprouts in morning and withers by afternoon- Psalm 90:3-6

Assume for a moment that the Bible is right and that the God who wrote it is for your good. Ponder your death. You may die young.

Respond Accordingly

It is not enough to ponder this reality that you may die young; you also need to respond appropriately.

Turn to God- the One True God of the Bible- and be saved. You can do that right now- pray that God would save you. Acknowledge that you are not in charge of the day of your death any more than you were in charge of the day of your birth. Acknowledge that God is the Author of life and death. Acknowledge that it could happen today, and cry out for His salvation.

Tell someone. Do you know a Christian? Like a real one? I know you know fake Christians that just use religion for their own ends- I know those people too- but do you know a real Christian? If so, reach out to them and tell them what God’s doing in your life. I’m confident they’ve already been praying for you about this very topic.

Respond today. You are not promised tomorrow. Turn to God today and be saved.

• If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?
• If you were to die today, how would you be remembered?
• What needs to change if you are given tomorrow?

Think on these things…

I love you guys,

Brian O’Day