Game of Thrones -- Part 3

"Objects in mirror are closer than they seem!"

How Old Are You?

The day is coming—there’s no way to avoid it—right after we’re born, it draws closer each day.

Death comes to us all.

I probably lost half my readers right there, but I hope not. You see, death is nothing to be afraid of for the Christ follower. In fact, it isn’t even something to push from the mind.

“What are you saying, pastor Rob? You want me to think about death?! Embrace the light, walk toward that warm glow? No thanks!”

Ok, suit yourself, but this is straight from God’s Word, not Rob’s book of opinions. And God tells us that only a fool ignores death. Only a fool fails to see the good of it. Look at Ecclesiastes 7:1,

“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.”

"What?! That just sounds crazy!" Well then, keep reading,

Hebrews 2:14, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil”

Death has no power whatsoever over the believer! Why fear it then? It’s like being afraid of an attack butterfly—it can’t hurt you—you just look silly by avoiding it or running from it. And those fears eventually lead to a life of bondage. Look what Paul said in the very next verse…

Hebrews 2:15, “and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

So, either we will look ahead realistically at death as a way to adjust and refocus our lives around the Savior, or we will live silly lives of naivety and denial, doing anything and everything to extend this physical life and push back our own expiration date. And we might even succeed in buying a little more time on this miserable orb inside these fallen tabernacles we call bodies. But in the end…

Death still comes to us all.

So, Solomon suggests a different approach—a realistic approach. First, he urges us to take a sensible look at what happens as we get older. We find this vivid description in verses 1-8 of Ecclesiastes 12. Let me just paraphrase for a moment…

The day is coming when…

·      our shoulders will slump (v. 3)

·      our teeth will fall out (v. 3)

·      our legs will become weak (v. 3)

·      our eyesight will begin to go (v. 3)

·      our hearing will fade (v. 4)

·      our sleep will be restless

·      our fears will increase (v. 5)

·      our caution will grow (v. 5)

·      our hair will gray (or fall out)

·      our sexual passion will diminish (v. 5)

·      our time at funerals will increase (v. 5)

·      our spine will grow weak and sore (v. 6)

·      our memory will fade (v. 6)

·      our breaths will grow short (v. 6)

·      our heart will grow weak (heart attacks) (v. 6)

·      And, finally, death comes to us all

Okay, I admit, that wasn’t much fun, but it was necessary—Solomon thought it was—more importantly—God thought it was. That’s why it’s included in God’s Word. And the point of it is that God wants us to know that a life spent pretending that none of that is going to happen is the most meaningless life of all, “Vanity of vanities, “says the preacher, “all is vanity v. 8”

So, what do we do with all this dismal, death talk?

Here it is—three things…

1.     Aging is inevitable

Aging is nothing to be embarrassed about. Instead, we should embrace it. With aging comes wisdom and understanding—grace and forgiveness. The more we understand what all has been done for us along the journey of life (by Jesus) the more empathetic we are toward others.

2.     Aging is essential

It’s essential because through all the aches and pains, memory loss and stooped shoulders—we have constant reminders of eternity—constant reminders of no more tears, no more pain, no more aging and an eternity with the Savior that loves us and gave Himself for us.

3.     Aging is not eternal

Death is usually thought of as the end, but it’s really the beginning of something beautiful for the Christ follower (see above). For those who reject the Savior? Well, that’s another story. There’s only one way to heaven (John 14:6) and that’s through Jesus Christ—ignore Him and death becomes pretty intimidating.

So, maybe I gave waaaaaaay too much time to the Grim Reaper, but no more than Solomon did. So let me just encourage you to take a moment and bravely approach the reality of your own death. Have you ever considered the wisdom that could be gained by thinking about its rapid approach rather than pretending you’re Cher or Dick Clark and that it will never happen to you?

I realize this goes against everything our culture tells us, but trust God on this one. Think about it a little today, then ask yourself the following questions:

-       Am I living my life with an eternal perspective or just living for the here and now?

-       Am I afraid to die? Why? Why not?

-       Do I view the aging process with nothing but contempt?

-       What can I do to embrace the aging process and finish strong for God?

I can think of more, but that should get the ball rolling.