Do you know what the worst thing about death is?

It’s not the dying itself – its the separation.

That is, we don’t suffer the most from our own deaths (a one-time occurrence), but from suffering the deaths of others (repeatedly). Instead of living relationships, we are left with distant memories.

A sad reality, to be sure.

What if, however, we could use death to our own advantage?

I’m convinced this is the truth behind Ecclesiastes 7:2 –

It is better to go to a house of mourning
than to go to a house of feasting,
for death is the destiny of everyone;
the living should take this to heart.

Now, obviously, simply taking death to heart isn’t enough to defeat our most ancient enemy. For that, we need (and have been given) a resurrection.

But, have you taken your own death to heart? I believe there’s something to be gained by considering how you’d like to be remembered by others after you die.

How do you want to be remembered:

  • by God?

  • by your spouse?

  • by your children?

  • by your parents?

  • by your family and friends?

  • by your colleagues?

For me, I’d like to be remembered:

  • …as God’s faithful servant.
  • …as my wife’s best friend.
  • …as my children’s most important teacher.
  • …as my parents’ legacy.
  • …as my family and friends’ loyal brother.
  • …as my colleagues inspiring teammate.

…which sounds great, right? But here’s the rub:

What changes do you and I need to make in our lives, to start making those hypothetical memories more realistic each day?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below, as I consider how taking death to heart should impact one’s entire life.

~Josh (@joshuapsteele)