We are all going to die, so why waste the impending certainty of that event? Death and its inevitability will be ignored by people who fail to grasp the lessons it can provide.

As I read Scripture certain verses will get my attention. A particular verse will capture of my thinking and help me begin to process an issue in the context of my life. Today, it happened to be death. Seeing the word “death”in print can be a religious trigger for some. While we will enter eternity to experience eternal life, the process of death has much to teach us and should not be ignored. As Solomon spoke about this life and the wisdom death can provide, four things captured my thinking.

DEATH FOCUSES OUR LIFE

Solomon gave an over-arching truth about life and death setting the stage for what he was about to say, “After all, everyone dies – so the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). To take something to heart is not about having a morose view of death. It brings us clarity and focus about what we will choose to invest our lives in. It helps us make wise life choices, not foolish ones.

DEATH AFFECTS HOW WE WILL CHOOSE TO LIVE 

Death, if seen from God’s perspective, will release an opportunity to explore another aspect of wisdom. “A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time” (vs.4). Wisdom versus a mindset that demands we always need to have “a good time” is where wisdom or foolishness is defined. We need to choose wisely how we choose to live this life.

DEATH CHANGES HOW WE SEE OUR HISTORY

The older a person becomes; another choice will come our way.  Will we use our past, its failures and successes, to forge a better future or will we long for what was at the expense of what can be? Solomon wrote, “Don’t long for ‘the good old days. This is not wise” (vs.10). It is never an expression of wisdom to park our lives in the memories of the past, good or bad, and do nothing to change our future. In this life, we are to long for God, not our memories. 

DEATH AFFECTS OUR CERTAINTY ABOUT THIS LIFE

Solomon wrote, “Remember that nothing is certain in this life” (vs. 14). Apart from the unchanging nature of God, nothing in this life is a sure thing. To project an attitude of certainty in this life is a fool’s errand.

If we understand the benefit that comes from properly processing death and the clarity that process brings, it will help us live a resurrected life as the time of our departure from this world draws near.