My Death Wish

What are your thoughts on the chorus of this song, “Live Like We're Dying” (by musical artist, Kris Allen)? [i]

                                              Yeah, we gotta start                                                                    

      Looking at the hands of the time we've been given
If this is all we got and we gotta start thinking
If every second counts on a clock that's ticking
Gotta live like we're dying
We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or to throw it all away
We gotta tell them that we love them
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we're dying[i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon, “Carpe Diem: Seize the Day,” Installment One, Sunday, November 6, 2016,  Pastor Dave Jansen, CenterPoint Church Gahanna, Gahanna, OH

The above lyrics remind me of this quote from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, starring the late Robin Williams (as English Teacher, John Keating, of Welton Academy in Vermont): "Carpe, carpe, carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." [iii]

How do we joyfully make the most of each day, but still realistically keep in mind that no one knows exactly when the Almighty will call them home? Psalm 39:4-5 (NLT) makes us all aware that our time here on earth is brief (compared to eternity with God):

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is just a breath.”

1.  Worship your Heavenly Father daily in some form. That can be through prayer, Bible (or other spiritual) reading, listening to worship music, or engaging in some kind of activity (or hobby) that brings your thoughts back to the goodness of the Almighty.

“Fill us with your love every morning. Let us be happy and enjoy our lives.”[iv]

"When you read, don't just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think."[v]

2.  Watch for your Heavenly Father daily. If you purposely look for the Almighty in your world, you might just be surprised where you will find Him.

“Let your servants see the wonderful things you can do for them. And let their children see your glory.”[vi]

"Just when you think you know something, you have to look at in another way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong; you must try."[vii]

3.  Work for your Heavenly Father daily. What can you do today to help your fellow man, and please God?

“Lord, our God, be kind to us. Make everything we do successful. Yes, make it all successful.”[viii]

"No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world…There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for."[ix]

What is the driving passion in your life (that gives the will to live daily)? Robin Williams (as teacher John Keating) put it this way for his students in Dead Poets Society:

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."

 

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[i] “Death wish” refers to someone’s desire conscious (or unconscious) to sacrifice their life for another person’s. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)

[ii] Inspired by the sermon, “Carpe Diem: Seize the Day,” Installment One, Sunday, November 6, 2016,  Pastor Dave Jansen, CenterPoint Church Gahanna, Gahanna, OH

[iii] Quote from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society.

[iv] Psalm 90:14, ERV

[v] Quote from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society.

[vi] Psalm 90:16, ERV

[vii] Quote from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society.

[viii] Psalm 90:17,  ERV

[ix] Quotes from the 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society.