Did you know that there are 2 people in the world who die every second? Death is as real as life itself.

Nevertheless, we don’t think of death that much. When we are healthy, when we are still young, death seems to be far from our minds. 

It is only when someone near and dear to us dies that death suddenly becomes a reality. When we become sick, we realize how life can be so fragile.

As much as we don’t want to think about death or talk about it, as much as we try to avoid death, as much as we try to fool ourselves that death will never knock on our door or at least, not too soon, we can’t deny the fact that we are all going to die.

There will come a time when our life will be over when we will take our last breath. Our hearts will beat for the last time. Our brain makes us conscious for the final moment.

I want to take this opportunity to share with you the lessons that death teaches us. Let us not waste the death of our loved ones but instead derive life-changing lessons from them.

That’s why, in this blog, I want to share with you 3 powerful lessons from death.

Lesson no. 1: Death reminds us that life is temporary

Hebrews 9:27 tells us: 

“It is appointed for men to die once.” 

Unless we are still alive when Christ comes, we are all going to die. That’s the harsh truth about life that we are going to face.

We don’t deny death, but instead, we accept and acknowledge it as part of life. It doesn’t mean that we should hate life and love death. It only means that we can’t fully prepare for this life until we also prepare to die.

Death is a powerful agent of change. It’s a great equalizer that affects both the young and old, the rich and poor, the healthy and sick.

Since we are all going to die one day, it should make us think about how we should live this life. When you finally reach the end of your rope, when you are lying on your deathbed, how are you going to evaluate your life?

You see, we only get one life. We only have a limited time to be on earth. When we live this life with the thought that we can die at any time, it changes our perspective on life. 

There are just so many things that we do that don’t really matter.

When was the last time you helped a person in need? When was the last time you talked to an old friend? When was the last time you visited your parents? When was the last time you spent quality time with your family? When was the last time you enjoyed God’s creation?

If you’re going to die tonight, can you honestly be happy with what you have done with your life? Or will you leave this life full of regrets?

I believe it’s high time for us to rethink our priorities in life. It’s time for us to spend more time on things that really matter the most because the time will come when we will never get the chance to do so.

Lesson no. 2: Death is a gain if you have lived for Christ

Let’s read Paul’s statement in Philippians 1:21:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

You see, living life without God in our lives is meaningless. A lot of people live their lives without acknowledging God. They believe that God is optional. There’s no need for Him. We can all just call on God when we finally lay down on our deathbed.

Paul is telling us that when we live for God, even our death is a gain. It is not a loss. 

Life is temporary, but so is death. 

Death is only temporary and if we have lived for Christ, we are going to be resurrected in the future.

I remember reading a book about a dying man. He went to the doctor and learned that he has a terminal illness and only has a year to live. 

He always thought of himself as someone special, a person who has achieved great things. He gained a lot of money. He has a lot of friends. He has a lot of properties. He is well-respected by other people.

Yet, when he went outside of that hospital, he felt a deep void in his heart. He looked around and saw how normal the world is. 

There he is, standing knowing that he has limited time on earth. In his mind, the world is supposed to stop and grieve for him. The world should be sad. The world should look at him with pity. 

Yet, the world didn’t stop for him. Life goes on. He felt not as special as he first believed.

If you think about it, our life is just too insignificant. In one article that I read, if we are going to sell our body based on the elements it is made of, we are just valued at a mere $5.

We worked so hard for a job that can easily replace us when we die. 

We spend so much time playing video games, mindlessly surfing social media, or watching videos that don’t bring value or meaning to our lives. 

We try hard to reach our goals and dreams without realizing that those things won’t last forever.

You see, only a life lived for God is a life that has meaning and purpose. Only a life lived for God can allow us to see death as a gain. 

Because only when we live a life for God that we will be secured in the next life to come.

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Lesson no. 3: Death finalizes your legacy

Death ends your physical life. 

In a way, it’s the final period in a sentence. It closes the final chapter of your life and you can’t undo and rewrite the story you have written.

Whether you like it or not, upon your death, you will leave a legacy. Will it be a legacy of honor, love, and service? Or a legacy of unfaithfulness, wickedness, or simply mediocrity?

In the Bible, there are two stories of death that I want to share with you. The death of Jehoram or Joram and the death of Tabitha. 

Jehoram was a wicked king of Judah. To eliminate anyone who may take his throne, he murdered his brothers and other rulers. He led Judah to idolatry. He worshiped other gods and forsook the Most High.

Upon His death, we read this in 2 Chronicles 21:20:

²⁰ He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to NO one’s sorrow, departed.

I want to compare his life to another biblical character named Tabitha. 

We read in Acts 9:36-39:

³⁶ At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did…. ³⁹ Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Brethren, which legacy would you like to have? Would you like to have the legacy of Jehoram or Tabitha? 

I have attended funerals before and part of their services is the giving of eulogies. 

Every time I listen to eulogies, it makes me wonder: if I die tomorrow, what would people say about me? What would be their eulogy? How would they remember me?

How about you, how do you think people would remember you? What would be their eulogy for you?

If we want to leave a lasting, inspiring legacy, we must strive to be like Tabitha. We must be full of good works and charitable deeds. 

The kindness, care, and love you left this world would be cherished by the people around you. 

Don’t ever underestimate the small kind things you do for other people because sometimes, those are the same small things that occupy the biggest part of their hearts.

Yes, time passes by, people come and go, and others will eventually forget who you are and what you have done. However, God is there. 

People may forget, but God will not forget.

We read in Hebrews 6:10:

¹⁰ For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Closing words

Friends, these are just some of the powerful lessons that death teaches us. 

Death reminds us that life is not permanent. We are going to die and that’s something we must prepare for. 

Next, death becomes a gain when we live life for Yahshua (Jesus Christ). Only by living this life for God that our death becomes sweeter than our birth. 

Finally, live a legacy worth remembering and cherishing. We will all leave a legacy and it’s always better to choose the better one.

With that said, friends, I hope and pray that when we finally reach the end of our lives, we can all say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”