You live well by planning to die.
As I opened the YouTube app on my phone yesterday the news of the death of a YouTuber struck me. A vibrant young girl in the prime of her life, dead and gone.
Then I opened YouTube again this morning and saw yet again the news of the death of another YouTuber.
The news of these deaths hit me differently because part of what I do is make recipe videos for YouTube. It was reality staring at me in the face, reminding me, "Precious, one day you will die."
Oh the brevity of life! I love how scripture puts it in James 4:14:
For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
May I remind you that life here on earth is short? It is easy for us to live as though this life has no end. But one day, we shall surely leave this earth and face our eternal destinies.
Friend, what eternal destiny have you chosen for yourself? Heaven or hell?
While I trust God to live a long and full life, I also know that the length of my life here on earth is not in my hands but in God's hands.
Remembering that one day I will no longer be on this earth helps me to live better. Because what do you do with the little time you are given? You make the most out of it.
To me, making the most with the time I am given means seeking God first in everything I do, doing everything with Him and for Him.
I do not always attain this goal but I keep striving to keep God at the center of my life. Because keeping God at the center helps me not to fear death. It assures me that there is a better life hereafter (heaven).
So I encourage you to keep Christ at the center. Study His word daily and let Him speak to you through His word. Fellowship with like-minded people who love God.
May we plan to die by constantly reminding ourselves that this life here is just the prelude to our forever lives.
Also, may we plan to die by keeping aside every hatred, malice, bitterness and unforgiveness. Life is too short to invest in hating or keeping bitterness against others.
I am grateful that as a Christian, I have the hope of heaven. I pray that if you do not have the hope of heaven, today, you will make a choice to surrender your life to Jesus Christ. He loves you and He wants to be the center of your life.
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”
Romans 10:13
El says
Thank you, Precious. This is great way to remind people that we ought to live each day as if it were our last. Blessings to you and yours!
Precious says
Blessings to you too, El!
Hanna Debia says
Hello Precious. I really needed to be reminded of the brevity of life. I just opened up my email and immediately it seems, I saw your email.
I thank you so much for this one and the others I have just been catching up on.
Stay blessed. Hanna.
Precious says
I am so glad to hear that, Hanna! I find that constantly reminding myself of the brevity of life keeps me in check.
Nyarai says
Amen. Death is not always easy to talk about, especially your own. But preparing for it is the best one can do. Being heaven-bound should be the goal of every christian. But do not ignore your legacy on earth, what are you leaving behind for your family, community, church and nation? Your life is not your own, live it to the benefit of everyone who needs to gain from it.
Thanks Precious for this 'uncomfortable' discussion.
Precious says
It is truly an uncomfortable discussion but one that is worth having. Thanks for the reminder about our legacy on earth. My prayer is to leave a legacy that honors God.
Vanessa Esther says
Thank you Precious for these words of encouragement. A potential reminder that our years on earth our few.
Precious says
They are so few, dear Vanessa. May we make the most out of them.