Death: Are You Prepared?

Richard Hollerman

Just today I learned about the death of an old friend of mine from Pennsylvania. When I left home about May 30 many years ago, and moved to south-eastern Pennsylvania, I almost immediately met Paul. I left the state a year later since circumstances didn’t allow me to continue where I was, and moved to Ohio, and then on to the following years of my life. But over the years, I did keep in contact occasionally with Paul from my past.

More recently I had tried to reach him for some years but was unable to make contact. I didn’t know whether it was a matter of a change of location or something else, but neither Paul nor his wife (Jean) responded to my letters and cards. Finally, I made contact with the church he was part of and learned that he was in an institution. Today the office secretary contacted me and said that Paul had died yesterday (his wife is still alive in the same institution/home).

This has brought death very close to me and has served as a reminder that I, too, must die. And my time is limited.

Here are a few facts that we should keep in mind at times like this:

First, we never know when our death may be. We know that some don’t like something this plain. Some would say our “home-going” or our “departure” or our “decease,” and any of these may do if they are accurate, but we use the plain and unadorned statement above—our death!

Second, we need to prepare to meet God in judgment. Most of us have read Hebrews 9:27: “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” We just don’t know when this appointed time may be. It could be at any time—in a car wreck, in an untimely hospital sickness, or another means. Let us be ready and prepared!

Third, we never know what the future may bring. Let’s remember what we read from James: “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (4:14). We are “here today and gone tomorrow”! We need to be prepared regardless of which day may be. To add to this, we read, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 17:1). We don’t know the future—but we know that we must die—some

Fourth, our time here is brief. Consider this: If we live only 1 trillion years in eternity (actually, of course, eternity is endless!), what is this compared to only about seventy or eighty years here in this life? Your time on earth is so very short—thus it is utterly vital to use every single moment in worthwhile endeavors. Let us consider our time here but let us make every decision in light of the eternal future!

Fifth, we only have this life to accomplish all we need to do. I realize that some don’t believe that we should think in terms of working now in light of the endless future, but this is reality! God gives us only a limited time to work on what needs to be done. Are we doing it well? Are we living for Jesus? Are we living constructively now? As Paul wrote, Jesus died for all, “so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Are you living for self or are you living for Jesus?

Sixth, if we are to reach anyone, it must be now! Why is it that we keep putting off talking to that parent or sibling about his or her need for Christ? Why do we refrain from working on that spiritual project that has eternal results? Why is it that we don’t study and read on that topic or that vital subject? Somehow we think that there will be time in the future, but that time may never come. Now is the only time that we have!

Friend, maybe you have an acquaintance or family member like Paul (whom I mentioned at first) and we assume that there will be the time and opportunity to do something for such a person—but that opportunity may never come! The end may come rushing toward us without warning. What will we do about this? What can we do about this? What should we do now so that there will be no regrets tomorrow or a year from now?

I urge you to do that certain “something” now, while you can. Many of our songs relate to this. And we know that tomorrow may never come. What can we do today? What must we do today?