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BP 43

I still remember the day. For some reason, the memory is burned on the frontal lobes of my brain.

I was standing in my closet-sized master bath in La Mirada, California, looking in the mirror. As I gazed back at the face in the mirror, my first thought was that this man is now thirty-seven-years-old, and that he is beginning to look his age. (Ironically, La Mirada in Spanish means, the look, or the gaze.)

My second thought was that I had burned through almost half my life expectancy and that I would be dead in forty years (or maybe less because of the smog). I’m not totally sure what seized my attention so vividly on that day out in LA, but I think it had something to do with the realization that I had achieved the half-way mark of my mortal existence.

To say it differently, my mortality danced before my eyes that day as I looked in the mirror, and I did not enjoy it. I was sobered by it. Maybe even, for a second, I was scared by it. A cold wave of dread crashed over my soul. The vividness of it caught me off guard.

Since then, of course, I have continued to move inexorably toward my average life expectancy. I have made steady progress toward a destination that at least part of me does not wish to arrive at—my death day.

At least I’m making progress in one area of my life. Ha.

How would I counsel myself and others about mortality, about approaching death?

Some of you reading this post may be only twenty or twenty-five or maybe thirty years old so an awareness of the brevity of your life may not be that salient. For you, the shadow of mortality may not have even begun to fall over your conscious awareness yet–unless one of your parents has died, or a friend, or you have served in the military and witnessed the sudden, violent death of your young peers.

Others of us have thought about death as far back as we can remember.

Wherever you are at in your conscious awareness of your life expectancy journey, it is something to prepare for mentally but above all spiritually because it just may benefit you in this lifetime as well.

You may be in the summertime of your lives or you may be in the wintertime of retirement years. Speaking of retirement age, I have never fully understood why that time of life is so often referred to as the golden years. Maybe because leaves rock such beautiful hues in the autumn months.

Those golden leaves trigger another thought for me. Why do many people find autumn to be their favorite season? I don’t get it. Maybe it’s because I live in Minnesota where those colorful leaves are followed by an Arctic blast that lasts a long time.

When I see the golden leaves of Fall, I certainly enjoy the beautiful colors, but I cannot help but think of what comes next—falling leaves, decaying leaves, barren and bony tree branches, naked skies, and winter. The deathly snows of winter. Didn’t Sheldon Vanauken write about the deathly snows in his book, Severe Mercy?

Maybe one of the questions in this blog is if we should even think about death. Is it unhealthy for our mental and spiritual wellbeing?

I remember one man I knew of through his sister who was forced to think about death. He really had no choice. He was a large, lumberjack kind of a guy who even wore the stereotypical flannel shirts and sported the big beard. He looked rugged and strong. As solid as an oak tree.

Then the cancer came.

When he was dying, he told his sister that he was afraid to die. He was figuratively scared to death. At times, his body even trembled with fear at the prospect of death because he did not know where he was going. He could not see around the next bend. The path after his final breath was completely unknown to him and the not knowing terrified him.

The only Being in the universe who could reveal to him what lay ahead after his last breath was not a friend of his. He was on his own, with no guide. He had no comfort from the One who had died and then come back from the dark unknown of the cold grave to announce that He would raise us to new life—eternal life.

By grace alone, I know the One who has already faced death and returned. Many of you know Him as well. Those of us who know Jesus are not left to wonder what comes after the last lungful of air is released and our chests fall still, never to rise again.

We do know the Guide who will lead us through the winter of our lives. He will be with us on that stone-cold day when, like that last shriveled and fragile December leaf clinging to the skeletal branch, we lose our grip and finally drift to the frozen ground. Thank God that the divine Guide is our best friend.

But what if we do not have Jesus walking beside us through the harsh reality of death? What are we left with then? Here are some words that come from alternative human guides:

Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace ~ Oscar Wilde

Judge if you want, we are all going to die. I intend to deserve it

It’s strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over ~ Jim Morrison

Don’t worry. Everyone dies eventually

Life asked death, why do people love me but hate you? Death responded, because you are a beautiful lie and I’m a painful truth

Death is the wish of some, the relief of many, and the end of all

I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it ~ Mark Twain

If there’ no one beside you when your soul embarks, I will follow you into the dark

From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them, and that is eternity ~ Edvard Munch

You needn’t die happy when your time comes, but you must die satisfied, for you have lived your life from the beginning to the end ~ Stephen King

I think of death as some delightful journey that I shall take when all my tasks are done ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Dying is like coming to the end of a long novel, you only regret it if the ride was enjoyable and left you wanting more ~ Jerome P. Crabb

They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time ~ Banksy

Somebody says your name for the last time . . . How melancholy. How sad. How final.

I don’t know about you, but I find the above sentiments about death flimsy and uninspiring at best and tragic and devastatingly lonely at worst. Utterly empty.

Isn’t there more than that—an abrupt end and ultimately the finality of forever being forgotten on this planet when no one beyond your great-grandchildren ever mention your name or think about you? Something in my bones tells me there is more. Death is not the end, the universe cries out.

God’s word tells us that not only is death not the end, but quite to the contrary, it is a transition. It is the beginning of life in God’s presence when we see not by faith but by sight. Finally, after all our groaning on this planet, we are fully alive. We are home at the hearth.

Jesus has shed bright light on the mystery of death, the dark uncertainties around death, the finality of death, the reason for death, and what comes after death. He brings the promise that death is a harbinger of hope and joy—for those who trust Him. Death terminates our mortal existence and Jesus, by His mastery over death, then brings us into eternity where He will fulfill His promise of being there with us forever.

The focus of today’s blogpost could seek to answer the question if those who have believed on the name of Jesus have already begun eternal life.

But I will leave that question to the theologians. I will rather focus on exploring the impact of eternity on your present mortal life. Our question will be, Does the fact that you know you are going to live forever in heaven with Jesus have any bearing on your current existence? Does the prospect of eternal life have any psychological/emotional/relational benefits for you right now?

If faith in Jesus is true, I believe that the awareness of eternal life with Jesus will have and should have immense practical benefits for our mental health right now. After all, Jesus came not just for the soul but also for the heart and mind and body. In 1 Timothy 4 we read, For while bodily training is f some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

So, in what ways might the conscious awareness of and meditation on eternal life (a practice of godliness) be of value to us?

• When we know that death is not the end (and that this life is merely the preface to the book), we then do not live under the waxing crush of the ever-lengthening shadow of death. The condition of death may not be feared even an iota by some believers because they know that death is not an end or an unknown but a portal to eternal life. Death is the vehicle that will usher then into Jesus’ dining room after living (languishing?) in the mud room of this world for eight decades.
• If we know that eternal life with our best friend and Savior begins after death, then even the dying process can be viewed differently. We do not dread the pain of dying like the unfortunate woman who must endure the suffering of a D&C after a miscarriage with no hope of the reward of a child. No, we have the promise from the Creator of the universe that the suffering of our dying days is like labor pains that ultimately will deliver a certain reward. In this case, not the reward of a newborn child, but of a new body and a new life with Jesus for ever and ever. No more tears, no more suffering, no more grief.
• Pain in general is more bearable if we know it is pain with a purpose–pain that will bring you to a better end. In fact, I believe that the promise of eternal life with Jesus is one of the top two comforts that will help us endure the evil and suffering of this temporary world which can be so challenging to our belief in a good, sovereign God. The other factor is the kind, merciful, loving character of Jesus. He never allows suffering in our lives unless it will be of great benefit to us and if it is the only means of achieving that end. The last time I built anything out of wood, I had to sand it down before I could apply a beautiful varnish. God’s sanding is critical to becoming more like Him, and it never goes against the grain of His love for us. Remember that sanding in this lifetime will produce godliness in this life and in eternity.
• We will value other humans more than entertainment or sleep because people are the only entities we can bring to heaven with us. Men and women are the only other eternal beings on the planet. Okay, there will be lots of dogs in eternity and maybe a few cats—especially if they look like Aslan. But none of them bear the Imago Dei as does a man or woman.
• We might spend less time searching for and collecting material things that bring us fleeting pleasure but mean nothing in light of eternal life. Maybe we can use the money we would spend on extra clothes, exotic glassware, sports paraphernalia or a first edition rare book collection (anything about books strikes too close to home) on generosity for those who do not even have a roof over their heads or food to eat. (I want to be careful in this area because I know that God generously gives us all things to enjoy and He wants our giving to be hilarious—motivated by joy, not guilt—so please listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in this area. Maybe check out what Bill Bright did with his retirement account—not for everyone but maybe for some.)
• Knowing that we are beings built for eternity, it will be easier to live with our hands open, not close-fisted. Generosity will be easier because we know that in heaven there is no exchange currency for the currency of this world.

• May your certainty of eternal life translate into love and empathy for others who currently do not know the promise of eternity with Jesus. Think about how no hope of eternal life might change how those around you do life and how they view politics, abortion, sex, pornography, vacations, alcohol, other people, etc. Imagine living in that world. Compassionately put yourselves in the shoes of someone who does not have Jesus as their best friend and ask Jesus to translate His love for you into action on behalf of others. Win them to Christ with your love.
• We might be less anxious about viruses and plane crashes (especially if we are on the plane 😊) if we know that both might be doorways to eternity with Jesus. I also like the saying that we are invincible until God calls us home. The timing of our death is not outside of God’s powerful awareness and plan.
• In love, we might die for someone else more readily when we are convinced that we have another, eternal life waiting for us.
• When we are having a terrible, awful, no good, miserable day, we can comfort ourselves with the truth that the best is yet to come. Place your worst day in the perspective of eternal life and then ponder it. Be angry, sad, afraid, lonely, depressed—but then know that one day He will make all things right and new.
• When someone we love so dearly that we cannot imagine living without them passes through the portal too soon, then in our profound, breath-taking grief we can comfort ourselves with the promise that we are not really saying goodbye, just, see you later. Eternal life provides a balm in the valley of the shadow of death.
• Eternal life is waiting for us, but God still commands us to be good stewards of the earth and our finances as well as servants to those around us.
• Eternal life means you will never be forgotten. You will not be reduced to dust in the wind. Your name will be known always because you will continue to live. Forever.
• Jesus will be in eternity. It is less important to know exactly what eternal life in heaven will be like and far more important to know that eternal life is where Jesus will be. Your best friend and Lord will be with you forever in the three persons of the Triune God. The One who created us, left heaven for us, died for us, and promised to bring us home where He will be with us forever.
• Remember that the promise of eternal life in heaven means that you will not be in hell—the place where Jesus is not. Personally, I do not spend a lot of time wondering if hell is going to be a place of literal fire. What I do think about is that hell will be hell because Jesus will not be there.
• I believe that anxiety and depression are often about being alone in the universe, navigating life with a deeply hidden self because we have been sinned against or as a way to hide our own sin and shame. Eternity with Jesus is the antithesis of being alone or in self-exile due to fear and shame and pride. Jesus bids us to prepare for eternal life with Him and with our brothers and sisters from every tribe and nation and tongue by coming out of our private hiding places and loving others in the next world but also in this world. Depression and anxiety will melt away as we move toward God and others instead of away from them into our dungeons of self-protection.

So, how often do you think about forever? When was the last time you meditated on eternal life? I mean, really thought about it for half an hour or more?

I still recall the time at age 17 when I was asked to deliver a homily at my church only months after Jesus had interrupted my life with—Himself. After the service, some people thanked me for my message. One person shook my hand and commented, Cold hands, warm heart. Another person winked at me and said, Now don’t go and become so heavenly minded that you’re of no earthly value.

I know that I was a very young believer at the time and probably clunky and insensitive in my new faith. But I also knew this man well enough that I heard his message: Don’t think too much about a world you can’t even see. Get your head out of the wispy clouds of eternal life and plant your feet firmly on earth. You’ll have all of eternity to be in heaven and worship Jesus. For now, just keep your affections focused down here so you can live a practical life.

I know there are some people out there who are very eccentric in their faith; or maybe even Pharisaical or evil. But if Jesus has delivered you from meaningless dying and a death with no hope for a future, how could you not think about Him and want to be with Him, whether that be here or in eternity?

So, think about forever. It is not a fairy tale but one of the truths that gives us sustaining power in this world. Live life from the long view. Look to the east for His return. One day, you will be going home. That’s guaranteed by God’s promise through the death and resurrection of His Son.

Thinking about eternal life is knowing that you will live forever and ever in a place where there will be no more suffering or tears or loss. But most importantly, you will be living with Him—the glorious I AM.

Do you know what comforted me that day in La Mirada when I felt the heavy dread of death? It was remembering the promise that for those who love Jesus, death is not an end but a beginning–a homegoing. Years after that day of dread, there is a part of me now that anticipates death with excitement. Eternal life is going to be out of this world and in His presence. Forever.

Until then, every time I look in a mirror, I’ll look at that familiar but aging face staring back at me and say, Any day now, you’ll be going home. Forever.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain ~ Philippians 1:21

Revelation 22:4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.