On the Waiting List

There is a situation in life that comes to all men and women, old and young, high and low, rich and poor, and it can occur at any time. At some point we all suffer the pain of losing someone in death – a brother or sister in Christ Jesus, or a loved relative or friend. Even though we do not like talking about it, death is a constant phenomenon of life, and we are better if we learn how to accept and handle it, rather than try to hide from it. One of the most startling statements in the Bible is, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting; for it is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart” (Ecc. 7:2). “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more reward; for the memory of them is forgotten” (Ecc. 9:5)

Death should remind us that we are all on the waiting list. When we live healthy lives and enjoy the good things of the Lord in this world, it is not easy to believe that we are on this waiting list. Yet a visit to a hospital, being at the battlefield or at a funeral, will awaken us to the reality. Talking about the battlefield, some people, whose countries have passed through the valley of the shadow of death, speak of gruesome deaths and the frailty of human life. “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” (Ps. 103:15-16). Often we only go for the “flourishes like a flower”, but forget that soon, “the wind blows over it, and it is gone”. Yet that is the reality of life.

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Ecclesiastes 12:1

Since we know this, what kind of life should we live? We are all on the same waiting list of death and should therefore live with a lot of faith in our Creator, since we will all give an account of our lives to Him. We should have a lot of consideration for other people and share all our resources with them. Great people have passed through this life and are gone.

Those who lived by high principles and values left a more lasting legacy than those who lived by material gain. The temporary nature of life should jolt us to face our responsibilities toward mankind. Often people live wickedly and commit all kinds of evil towards one another, forgetting that they only live for a short time. They forget that in spite of their often mad rush for riches and possessions, they cannot take anything with them when they leave this world. When people flee for dear life in situations of war, floods or earthquakes, none remembers their possessions; material things are unable to stand the real test of life.

When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, it is the Lord who will be with us, not any worldly possessions we may have. Instead of spending our time amassing possessions in this life (especially if at the expense of integrity or concern for other people), we need to lay up treasure in heaven, “where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:20).

Death should not scare us; rather we should take the opportunity, while we are alive, to live good lives before our time comes to depart from this world.

Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord… and the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:28-31). What, then, are we all waiting for in this world? Let us have faith in the Lord and obey his commandments. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt. 16:24-25). So let us get on the waiting list for eternal life.

Bro Joseph Oppong (Cape Coast, Ghana)