There is nothing abnormal about death, just as there is nothing abnormal about birth. Every born child awaits death, at some point. The process, regardless of background, always starts with birth, leading to death at some point. Some people die young. Others die at old age. Living longer, should not necessarily be regarded as a blessing, compared to those having lived shorter lives.
Jesus lived for only thirty-three and a half years on earth. This is notwithstanding that His accomplishments, cannot be compared to any other accomplishment, ever achieved in this world. Life is not about longevity, but about what one does for other people. One is remembered for things done for others, more than things done for oneself. Others mourn for their dead without appreciating this reality.
Paul’s advice was that of living this life as if ending at sunset. This physical life is not as important as most people assume it to be. The only value with this life concerns what one does for other people. One can be in a beauty pageant, or acquire the best material gains, but, all count to nothing, after death.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV).
“What I mean, brothers is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).
When one concentrates on doing the will of God, one uses one’s time wisely, according to Paul. The present life can fertilize the future glory. There will come a time that the current life vanishes. One can accumulate as much wealth as one can. But that wealth also perishes, after passing on.
Paul’s advice is driven by that God’s children no longer have any share in things of this world. A truly converted person ceases to worry about physical acquisitions. Material things can be manipulated for serving the Lord. Occupation with God’s will is more worthwhile than occupation with material possessions.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:14).
There is nothing enviable about being God’s children, who have surrendered everything to be with Christ. True Christianity invites persecution, false accusations and all manner of malice. God’s begotten children can only be advised to keep reflecting on the life of Jesus on earth.
Scriptures do not show Jesus ever taking time off, to enjoy life. Jesus sought to inject happiness into other people, rather than creating moments of happiness for Himself. Wherever Jesus was found to be, He always sought to advance the teachings of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The same applies to God’s children, meant to be viewed as not different from Jesus. The Spirit that was with Jesus is with God’s children. The thinking pattern of Jesus is still with God’s children today, as much as it was with the early disciples. It is a question of allowing God’s Spirit to function in one’s life.
The worry about surviving longer in this life ceases to occupy the minds of God’s children. These are people who sacrificially commit themselves to be of service to others, in whichever form God desires of them. There is no need to mourn their deaths, except to adopt whatever they leave behind as their legacy.
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me” (Philippians 1:21-26 NIV).
Paul shows that the only purpose of continuing to live in this world is doing God’s will. I have done many things since I was born. As a child, I used to herd cattle for my father who is no more. Just as the cattle I herded, though still in my memory, are no longer there.
Some fourteen years ago, the meaning of life dawned on me. I realized having wasted time doing useless things. I discovered that life was about giving; more than it was about accumulating material things for myself. Life became empty, without doing anything for humanity.
However, at that time, I did not have anything to give, as languishing in abject poverty. Our country had just attained the highest inflationary level, ever achieved by any other nation in peacetime. I became stuck with the revelation, projecting that life’s worth is contained in giving, rather than in receiving.
As not gifted in speaking, writing became the only avenue. I have not realized any income from writing, but satisfaction from practising new discoveries. What I write may not have been published by anyone before, but projecting what I consider to be true.
My website attracts few readers. But I cannot be discouraged, as assured of the material advancing the giving principle, more than about receiving. The material may only be for benefitting future generations. There cannot be any substitute for the principle of giving; representing future generations.
For the functionality of physical life, human activities should be conducted with the opposite aim. As long as spending much time acquiring material possessions for one’s own benefit, one would be promoting death. The condition of life is generated by adopting the opposite principle.
The more one focuses on giving, the more one generates life for oneself. The principle of giving is different from doing so in expectation of recompense. The principle of giving is a way of life, where one draws comfort from giving, rather than drawing comfort from receiving.
Some people have practised this type of life, by default. However, most of them may not even have realized its axiomatic principle. God’s nature is that of giving, more than it can be found in receiving. The question of how to survive when focusing only on the aspect of giving is answered by looking at Jesus.
Jesus is recorded as not having been engaged in any other business activity, for purposes of drawing income, except doing His Father’s business. He needed shelter, food and any other provision for human survival. But Jesus never got bothered by the need for the acquisition of such material things.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:19-20 NIV).
The Scriptures do not show anything, concerning the responsive behaviour of the teacher of the law. How did he take Jesus’ utterances? We can only assume that the teacher of the law did not find sense in what Jesus said.
The philosophy of giving cannot easily be understood by ordinary people. It takes God’s revelation to understand that the giving principle sustains life, instead of the receiving principle. After death, at the Garden of Eden, humanity adopted the most degraded condition of survival.
Work became necessary as a means of attaining profit, for survival purposes. Without work, survival became impossible. However, the principle of working for profit was different from working for other people’s beneficiation.
To Adam, he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food until your return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:17-19 NIV).
The pronouncement was given to humanity after death, having eaten the forbidden fruit. The life of any person from birth to old age comprises hardworking, in order to receive something for self-sustenance. However, this principle does not apply to those having reverted to the state of being God’s children.
Jesus lived a physical life, which demanded sweating, as well, but not for the purpose of producing food. However, as God dwelt in Him, it was not necessary for Jesus to engage in such strenuous activities. Obsession with the acquisition of material things for survival purposes is not necessary for God’s children.
For ordinary people, hard work is necessary, for survival purposes, until they return to the dust from where they came. However, God’s children are different, having become aware of not originating from the dust. God’s children are a direct product of God’s creation, in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27).
They still feel hungry and thirsty, to be in need of food and drink. They also need shelter and any other conditions, catering to physical survival. But God supplies those requirements, using other fellow human beings, who may not even be aware of being used by God when doing so.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or in need of clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:37-40 NIV).
God’s children are catered for, by God himself, using other humans, who may not even be aware of being used by God. They trust God, more than they expect to receive from other fellow humans. They also do not entertain worrying about their own survival, more than their commitment to doing God’s work.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26 NIV).
The above Scripture is not applicable to ordinary people of this world. Those of this world, being dead, due to the Garden of Eden incident, require sweating for their physical survival. But their survival would be within the span of their lives, which could be more or less than seventy years. Their existences are not different from any other animal species, existing today, but no longer there tomorrow.
“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 NIV).
Human birth is a condition of death that does not necessarily translate to life. Although appearing as living, a human being is dead, unless having received the precious gift of life through Jesus. The condition of receiving life is attained by accepting Jesus’ teachings and applying everything He recommended.
While God’s children can live unattractively, their life on earth is, extremely unnecessary. But for the purpose of being used by God, for drawing others to Jesus, it is necessary for them to remain in their physical bodies. But they would have become different from those living miserably on earth. But dying at old age, or during the course of their toiling for survival.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social decay. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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