I had many conversations with a dear friend who was facing death. He was in his early sixties and full of life. He never thought in terms of victimhood and he loved life and he loved his family. When he was overtaken by a disease, it led him to have honest, straightforward conversations and to ask for God’s wisdom to make right decisions.

Many years before, he had given his heart to Jesus and I watched his trust grow to a much deeper level. He wanted to finish well. When he was told he had to go through more medical treatments, he did not want to simply prolong life a little longer. He did not want to be on any form of life support if quality of life was dramatically diminished. Though we had prayed for a miraculous healing, we both realized he was getting ready to receive much more—eternal life with Jesus.

I appreciate our medical field and all the technology available to prolong life. But do we simply preserve life because we can? When does our grasp on life become a means of taking destiny into our own hands, especially when there is no real quality of life? Even when the body and mind are failing?

My friend didn’t want to leave a trail of prolonged pain, burden, and sorrow for his family. He invited Jesus into his fears—fears of the unknown, fears in leaving his loved ones. He wanted to leave a legacy of how to live well, but also how to die well.

Most humans have a natural desire to do good. Preserving life even past a quality of life feels like compassion. Taking a loved-one off life-support is sorrowful in ways that are hard to imagine, no matter the age. There are so many variables, and empathy is powerful and vital in identifying practical and emotional issues. But our cares and concerns are designed to be effective combined with wisdom and understanding. Otherwise, we cause more distress.

Solomon wrote: “I learned firsthand that pursuing all the world says is important is like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:17). We no longer want to chase the wind of human aspirations.

If we want to finish well, then everything we pursue in life is found in Jesus Christ. We will grow in our intimacy and our oneness of heart, expressed in our love for Him. We ask Him to fulfill the purposes He ordained for us.

Opposite of what the world thinks, we must learn to die to our old nature so that we can live in the power of His Spirit. Physical death is the ultimate culmination that leads to eternal life and the fulness of His Spirit. To live is Christ. To die is gain.