Feeling Mortal

One of the most humbling things in life is remembering our mortality.  I've recently been reminded of my mortality (don't worry I haven't been given a death sentence or anything) and I think it's been good.

We will all die.  As my grandpa says "It's not 'if' it's 'when'."

When we forget our mortality we get proud very quickly.  When we go through life never realizing that we are just a vapor compared to the age of the earth and that is just a vapor compared to the eternal nature (in both directions) of God.  Remembering our mortality helps us grasp reality.

"As a father has compassion on His children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear Him."  Psalm 103:13-17a

King David, the writer of this psalm, remembered his mortality and so should we.  We must remember that we are always frail beings on the edge of existence.  I'm not looking to scare you, but we are all close to death much of the time.  We take for granted that we'll live to see old age, and we just might do that but we fool ourselves if we think a long life is guaranteed.  That being said, even a long life is short in the perspective of eternity.

So, you and I are mortal beings but what does that mean for us?

I think first and foremost this means that we must get right with God A.S.A.P.  I could die today and so could you and after this life a next life remains and that life is eternal.  After we die we will live eternally in either Heaven or Hell.  So, we must get right with God first because that is of eternal importance for us mortals.  The good news, or in Greek the Gospel, is that God wants to make peace with us and He wants to offer us eternal life in Heaven and He asks for nothing in return.  That's a great deal if there ever was one.

The next thing our mortality means for us is that we should be right with people.  You never know when your last time to make up with someone is.  You never know when your last time to say, "I love you" is.  A grudge will seem stupid and insignificant on your deathbed.  A missed "I love you" will seem very significant on your deathbed.

Finally, being mortal means we have to make the most of every day.  Never assume you'll have tomorrow.  Never assume you won't have tomorrow either.  So, be wise and plan for many tomorrows but we don't assume that you'll get tomorrow.  This makes us long range planners who get as much joy out of today as we can.  We aren't fools that shout "Y.O.L.O." before our next idiotic moment, but we aren't fun-haters who only think about fun in retirement.  Mortals should live like they're dying and like they'll have future needs.

So, remember that you're mortal.  We are here today and gone tomorrow in the grand scheme of things.  Most importantly remember that God has everlasting love for mortals.  Accept His love for you today.