The fragility of life

Many years ago, I heard a public speaker claim that with advances in scientific technology, proper exercise, and so on, he expected to live to be one hundred years old.  That was the exact word he used; he said he “expected” to live to be 100.  I find this man’s declaration problematic because he is not doesn’t taking into account how fragile life is, no matter how technologically advanced we get.

For example, have you considered how incredible it is that we drive to work, school, and local hangout spots, and then subsequently return home safely?  Think about how fast we go in our cars today.  The posted speed limit signs on the interstates where I live ranges from 55-75 miles an hour!  Even side streets can go up to as high as 45-55 miles an hour!  At that speed, one wrong move and your life could end in a second from an oncoming car.  Every day we take our lives into our own hands by choosing to get behind the wheel of an automobile simply because of the convenience of arriving at our destinations quickly.

Or for another example, contemplate how the Bible mentions that we should be grateful just to awaken every day because it was God who sustained us, and kept our hearts beating overnight as we slept (Psalm 3:5).

In a classic episode of the TV show “Frasier” a man died of a heart attack even though there was no indication whatsoever that this was imminently approaching.  Frasier then spent the rest of the episode obsessing as to how this man could have been overtaken by a heart attack.  He discovered that the man ate right, exercised regularly, and didn’t smoke or drink alcohol.  Such is the fragility of life!

Nowhere in the Bible do we read, “Expect to live to be 100 years old.”  To the contrary, the Bible says cherish each day for the gift of God that it really is.  James 4 even says that we shouldn’t go around saying, “Tomorrow we’ll go here and do this,” because we don’t really know what is going to happen tomorrow.  Instead we should say, “If it’s God’s will we’ll go here and do this” (James 4:13-15).

Kevin