A Death Too Soon

READ: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

The military gym where I work out often has MTV or BET emanating from its three TV screens. Much of the gym’s youthful clientele enjoys the ubiquitous hip-hop videos.

I’ll reserve judgment about that musical genre, but I can’t be so neutral about the substance (or lack thereof) of the videos. Women are routinely reduced to the sum total of their sexuality—and a superficial sexuality it is! The “dance” moves are little more than simulated sex. A “modest” wardrobe means one without much fabric in it. Dignity and subtlety are nonexistent.

It’s sadly ironic that a prominent star of some of these videos is no longer with us. Her name was Aaliyah, and she died much too young in a plane crash last year. From what I’ve read, I would have liked her had I known her. Unfortunately, Aaliyah will be remembered most for her videos and a movie released after her death: Queen of the Damned.

Aaliyah probably didn’t give much thought to the prospect of her untimely death. Few of us do. But it’s not likely she would have wanted those videos and that movie to be her permanent legacy. Surely she was capable of so much more.

Believers in Jesus Christ don’t need to fear death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57), but that doesn’t mean we never should give any thought to it. Death’s inevitability should prompt us to take a hard look at what our legacy will be. How will people remember us? Why?

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,” the apostle Paul wrote (v.58). That doesn’t imply a parttime spiritual service that we turn on and off. It’s an everyday commitment to serving God in everything we do. Seldom is such work splashy or sensational. Never does it exploit or entice.

God values small acts of service, kindness, and gentle actions, and unrelenting commitment to doing the right thing—all done away from the glare of the spotlight. Anything less is its own reward.

“Your labor in the Lord is not in vain,” Paul concluded (v.58). When we live for God, we need not fear a death too soon. —Tim Gustafson

REFLECTION

• What am I doing today that will have lasting value?
• Which of my “accomplishments” might I regret later?
• How do I want others to remember me?

Live as if this is your last day on earth.

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