The Call To Die

Death has been on the forefront of my mind over the past week. As I age it begins to become more of a reality that I will not live in this physical body forever. The thought of my physical death made me think of the eternal life that has been given to my soul. As I thanked God for that life, I again realized that it took the death of Jesus for me to have eternal life. His death gives me life. Death brings life? It seems so strange to me when I think about it and I've been thinking about it alot lately.

Last Thursday night when I was writing my thoughts down about my lovely wife it hit me how she also had died to give me life. She had to put to death all the hurt, pain, anger, bitterness, and resentment that I had caused her to feel because of my sin. She died to all of that and allowed Christ's love to shine through her. This is the first time I ever experienced the love of God. As a result of her dying to herself I accepted Christ and received eternal life. Her death gives me life.

Last Friday I was thinking about all this and eating my lunch. It then hit me that the turkey in my sandwich died to give me life too. What is true in the spiritual world is also true in the physical! My mind then goes crazy about how all these things have to die to give me life. I thought of all my basic needs. I need food, shelter, clothing and love to live. It takes the death of an animal, plant or person for me to have all four. I know this is not real deep or a revolutionary discovery but I had never thought of it before.

I then begin to think about what had to die in order to bring life to the things that had to die to bring me life. I am so weird. I began to realize that it is a life cycle. Everything that is alive will die and as a result bring life to something else. The worm will die to give life to the fish.(you don't catch 'em all) The fish will die to give life to the fisherman. The fisherman will die and give life to the worms. See what I mean?

Seriously though, this made me think long and hard. How do I need to die so I can give life to someone else? What do I need to die to so I can really live? How can I be sure that when this physical body dies it will have given more life than it took?

This is another way I need to model Christ in my life. I need to live for the sole purpose of dying. I need to die so I may bring life to others. Jesus is our perfect example.