LIFE AND DEATH - BEGINNING AND END
The first month of the new year has ushered in an unusual number of life endings. Personally, my cousin died, my son’s Father, a friend, and many other community members - to include a baby and two brothers within hours of each other. These events have led me into deeper thoughts and research via the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2 tells us there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens; a time to be born and a time to die. And it happens in different ways. Along life’s journey there is a natural birth and a natural death. Within that natural birth, God breathed his spirit into us. According to Genesis 2:7, God formed man from dust and breathed the "breath of life" into his nostrils, transforming him into a living soul. When the natural body dies, the spirit returns to God, our creator. Based on Ecclesiastes 12:7, when a person dies, the body returns to the dust of the earth, while the spirit or "breath of life" returns to God who gave it. This signifies a separation of the physical body from the life force, which returns to the creator. Although God assigns us a time to be born and a time to die, choices can cut life short. Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns, "Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?"
The Bible teaches there is also a spiritual birth and spiritual death. When we choose to accept/acknowledge that Jesus is the son of God, believe that He died on the cross for us, and commit to being a follower, we are born again (spiritual birth) thus granted an opportunity to continue eternal life in Heaven when we leave this side of life’s journey. Part of the process involves dying to worldly ways and to selfish desires of the flesh… dying to sin. The separation of the human soul from God is spiritual death.
My take away is life here on earth is temporary. Life and death happens more than once for those who choose to live for God. Having stated all of the above, life and death - beginning and end is deeper than what meets the eyes. In the midst, living life happens. Adding value to living life is the foundation of this blog. The more I watch, experience, pray, and study, the more I understand. What are your thoughts…understanding?
