Articles
Are you prepared for Death?
There is a common and widely used phrase that has been passed down from generation to generation throughout the ages. You probably have heard it from your parents, maybe your grandparents, someone you knew, or anybody for that matter. You yourselves probably have said this phrase to someone and been involved in the careful process of the preserving and passing down of this saying: “There are only two things you have to do: Pay your taxes and die.”You ever hear that?
I suppose we don’t necessarily “have to” pay taxes but we know that there are severe consequences that follow if we don’t pay them and we will still have to pay them at some point. However, the other aspect, the aspect of death, is absolute. It cannot be avoided or escaped, and every single human being will die one day, barring of course the return of Jesus Christ. It’s a concept that a lot of people struggle with coming to terms with and if we’re being honest here, people just don’t want to die. They don’t want to leave their families, they don’t want to leave their friends and loved ones behind and the joy, the thrill, the love and all the emotional aspects that come along with that. People don’t want to think about something that they don’t know much about especially something they fear. But that doesn’t make it any less real than it actually is. It means nothing. Death is a reality, and everyone will cross paths with it someday.
So, with this in mind, maybe the more appropriate question is whether we are ready to face death. When that day comes, will we be prepared? Death will come (barring Jesus’ return). I can’t stop that, you can’t stop it, no one can, and when it comes your preparation and my preparation, that is what will dictate how the last chapter of our lives will end. That’s going to be all that matters and what makes the difference. For some it may be happily ever after. Others not so good! There is a Heaven and there is a Hell!
Many people spend their entire lives wasting it and doing things that are fruitless and misguided. If we know for a fact that we will die and what awaits us on the other side is forever, it’s eternity and we can’t change that then we ought to be making every effort to make sure we are ready to die. Who wants to die and suffer forever? No one! Therefore, let’s ensure that whenever out time comes, we will be found righteous in the eyes of God and thus we can be with Him forever.
