What Would You Do if You Die Tomorrow?

Have you ever really stopped to consider what you would do if you had only a short time to live? What if you were told today that you would die within a year? A month? A week? A day? What would you do? What would you want to accomplish? Would your behavior change? Would you treat people differently? Would you pray and beg God to save your life? Would you be in more of a hurry to accomplish goals in your life?

We don’t know when our time will come on this earth, and we must do the best we can every day. In Eccleisiastes, Solomon writes of death like this.

“For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” - Ecclesiastes 9:12

It is true that death often comes as a surprise to many of us. It may sneak upon us when we least expect it. Perhaps we are exercising one day and have a heart attack. Or we get some rare cancer next year. Or we get in a car accident tomorrow.

I sometimes look into the future and think, “will I be alive this time next year? What about 20 years from now? What about 50? How will I die? When will I die?” Of course, death isn’t the end. I have faith in God’s promise of eternal life, and that His children will exist with Him for eternity. But our time on Earth is limited.

Each day, we are one step closer to death. Even though I’m still relatively young, I can see time working on my body.  A few gray hairs here and there, and the starting of a wrinkle or two. Even in you, the same aging process is happening right now. Free radicals are breaking down your cells as we speak. You may not notice it, but it continues to happen daily.

Yes, there is no doubt about it, granted, it may be a slow process that takes several years, or even several decades, but we are progressing to that point, nonetheless. Some will die sooner, others later, but we are all going to die.

Tim Mcgraw song, “Live Like You Were Dying” is so true. In the song, he talks about his dad getting his cancer diagnosis. The whole song talks about how his dad actually started to “live,” after he found out he was going to die. He goes skydiving and does all sorts of fun things. The song talks of him riding a bull, loving and forgiving people, reading the Bible, and more during that time. He says, “I hope someday you get the chance…to live like you were dying.” –

Wouldn’t we finally have no fear to conquer our dreams and goals? After all, what do we have to lose? We know we will die, so why not take risks now? The fear of failure melts away in the face of death.  Why not do the unthinkable? Why not reach for the stars? Death reminds us that we truly have nothing to lose in this world–it will be lost one day anyway.

Some people get so bored with life, they almost feel as if they are dead on the inside already. They hate their jobs, they are scared to take risks, they are unhappy with relationships, and more. They get attached to things that are truly meaningless such as money, status, fame, and more. Those things melt away in the face of death like an ice cube in a hot skillet.

I too have searched the meaning of my life. My heart was yearning for something I was created to do. God has really turned that around. The more faith I have in God, the happier I am. The more I follow God’s word, the deeper the joy I have in my heart grows. I tell you the truth, I have never felt so alive as when I had a complete faith in God and lived my life according to His way. Having faith in God enables me to have faith in everything. With God all things are possible, and I have nothing to lose.

My hope for you is that you live as if you are dying–starting today. Dig deep into your soul, and really focus on the fact that life is a fragile gift that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, and today is a gift, that is why it’s called the present. Make the most of your gift.