I was smiling as I chatted with my younger brother on Facebook yesterday. He listed the topics he wanted to share, then asked me to pick which headlines I wanted him to expand on. I chose a few, and like a diligent server he delivered each story. The subjects ranged from serious matters, such as my grandfather’s funeral, to lighter ones, like the affectionate nickname he uses for my little girl—“Bebe Matango.”
I enjoyed the conversation until we reached one headline that named an older cousin. My brother prefaced the news with, “This is the shocker, Pre.”
I quickly typed, “What?” and waited.
His reply came: “She is dead, Pre, dead.”
For a moment I could not find the right words. The smile left my face and was replaced by sorrow. I struggled to accept the finality of the word “dead,” hoping somehow it might mean something different than no longer living.
I sat quietly and let my mind wander through memories: her face, the last time we met, the conversations we had, the things she owned, the things she said. Feelings surged through me. Shock barely described what I felt.
Then a single question rose above the rest: Where is she now? Is she at peace or in torment? Is she rejoicing in the presence of God or facing judgment? I recalled her mentioning faith in God and prayed she had clung to that faith until her last breath.
Many of us have experienced that stunned confusion when a loved one dies. One day it will be our turn too. Whether we like it or not, everyone dies someday—unless, of course, Jesus returns while we are still alive.
People often fear death, but when a life is rightly lived, death need not be terrifying. The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” That line echoed in my mind—my mother used to sing it as part of a hymn, and it has stayed with me.
I’ve spent time reflecting on the first part of that verse: “For me to live is Christ.” That phrase means living a life shaped by Christ—letting His priorities, character, and purpose define how we think, speak, and act.
Who are you living for? Your job, your spouse, fame, money? Who do your choices serve—God or material gain? Matthew 6:24 warns that we cannot serve both God and mammon. Too many people pour time and energy into pursuits that have no eternal value, rising early and going to bed late for the bread of anxious toil.
When your life on earth comes to an end, will the investments you made here matter beyond your years? Will you be found fulfilled or wanting? Those are sober but important questions.
I encourage you to pursue a Christ-centered life. Let Christ shape your thoughts, your words, and your actions. When your life is ordered around Him, death becomes gain: although loved ones grieve, the one who dies enters a far better place.
I long for the day I complete my mission on earth and step into the light of glory that never fades—to see Him face to face and hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” That hope sustains me.
I leave you with the apostle Paul’s exhortation: “And whatever you do, in word or act, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving praise to God the Father through him.” Live intentionally—life is brief, so make the most of it. The best life is the one lived for Christ.