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How do you want to be remembered? I wonder, do you ever think about how you want to be remembered? Another way to ask that question is what epitaph would you want on your tombstone? That may sound like a depressing topic, but actually thinking now about how you want to be remembered could make a huge difference in the way you live.
Most of us shy away from talking about our death; it feels morbid. But one thing is for sure—unless Jesus comes again soon to rapture his church—all of us will face death and all of us will leave behind a legacy. It’s not morbid or depressing to think about how you want to be remembered; it’s smart, and it’s life changing. That’s why my title this week is “Live Like You’re Dying.”
I wonder how we would live if each of us knew exactly when we would die. Have you ever thought about that? If God revealed to you the day, month, and year when you will pass from this life into eternity, how would it affect the way you live?
Psalm 90 is titled “A prayer of Moses the man of God,” and here’s part of that prayer:
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).
And King David prayed:
Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is (Psalm 39:4).
They were on the same page, even though centuries apart. They were not asking for a gift of prophecy, but rather, they were asking the Lord to help them live like they were dying—to live in the reality that their days were numbered, and their life was fleeting.
How often have you prayed such a prayer: Lord, show me how fleeting—how brief, how short, how transient—my life is? Suppose we began each of our days with this prayer, asking God to help us number our days. We would then begin to live like we were dying—live in the knowledge that this world is temporary, but eternity is forever. If you’re like me, some days you think about it but most days not so much. I want to encourage you as I do myself to give regular thought to the truth that you will leave this life one day and enter eternity. Are you living with eternity’s values in mind? That’s a good question for all of us to consider.