Maybe it hit me when I watched Forensic Files. Or when Olive Heiligenthal’s parents prayed for her resurrection after the two-year-old’s unexpected death. It seemed so unfair. But death comes for everyone. Sometimes it happens when it’s least expected. Are Christians near-sighted about death?

We’ve just given presents to those we love and care about. We’ve stood in line for the newest technological gadget. We’ve overspent on stuff, material things, gifts that will tarnish and fade away. We’ve missed the point. Our life is passing us by very quickly. We’ll be gone sooner than we think. James 4:14-15 explains:

[ Nothing but a Wisp of Fog ] And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, ‘Today — at the latest, tomorrow — we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.’ You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, ‘If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.’ (The Message)

Making an Impact Today

What are we doing to make a difference now? What is our purpose and calling? Each one of us has a God-given purpose. Ephesians 1:11-12 says:

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. (The Message)

When we die is in God’s hands. It could be 40 years from now. It could be today. We must see the bigger picture and determine how we are going to bring the Kingdom of God here on this earth until our Father takes us to Heaven to be with Him. Then, the godly will have peace and rest in their eternal home:

The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; and merciful and devout men are taken away, with no one considering that the uncompromisingly upright and godly person is taken away from the calamity and evil to come [even through wickedness]

He [in death] enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walks straight and in his uprightness (Isaiah 57: 1-2, AMPC).

It starts with a heart-felt reflection on our life and our purpose. Are we filling our lives with stuff, things that will burn up someday, or are we focusing on our mission as Christians? Christians, we need to understand that our time is short. As C. T. Studd, a poet, wrote,

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.