Dying to Live?

Breaking news: latest medical research has found that in a study of millions of people, death rates reached 100%…
It seems like every week recently there’s been a new study reported in the media about increased risks of death associated with different lifestyle choices, or about the relative success rates of medical treatments.  Maybe I’m morbid, but I can’t help thinking when I hear these reports that it doesn’t change the very end result.  Like taxes, death is inevitable.
I don’t wish to denigrate the work of doctors and medical researchers.  If I or those close to me are unwell I want the best medical attention possible.  Life is sacred, a gift from God and I believe we should look after it as best we can.  The Bible describes our bodies as temples to God, which means to me that we have a duty to care for ourselves properly. 
But even when we look after ourselves, and look after one another, we cannot escape the inevitable.  “The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” (Psalm 103:15-16).  The focus of the world is that we should all have control over when we die, which is understandable if you think that this life is all you have. 
The Apostle Paul saw it differently: “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  What did he mean?  As a Christian he knew that he had eternal life in heaven waiting for him.  The fact that he would one day die was not a problem because he knew what was coming next.  He could focus not on trying to extend his earthly life for its own sake, but on living to give glory to God.
If we spend our lives trying to avoid death we will always fail, but if like Paul we make our focus the Prince of life, then we will have life to the to the full in this world and store up treasure in heaven for eternity.

  
Matt Chandler 25/04/2012 (Author: )

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