By Staff Writer, Matt Osborne Many people in the world of sports have been taken aback by the news of Bronny James, the eldest son of NBA star LeBron James and an incoming freshman on USC’s basketball team, suffering cardiac arrest during practice on Monday. Though it was undoubtedly a scary and stressful situation, James was able to receive immediate life-saving medical attention. By the time his family released a statement informing the general public of what had transpired, James was already out of the ICU and in stable condition. Remarkably, this is the second consecutive summer in which the Trojans have had an incoming freshman suffer cardiac arrest during a summer practice. In 2022, Vincent Iwuchukwu was hospitalized following his cardiac arrest. Thankfully, he recovered and appeared in 14 games last season. Of course, many sports fans vividly recall the cardiac arrest suffered by Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, during a Monday Night Football contest this past season. Fortunately, he was also able to make a full recovery. Medical scares such as these serve as painful and powerful reminders of the brevity of life here on this earth. As scary as it may feel to think about the reality of our impending death, the Bible testifies to the fact that contemplating the fleeting nature of our lives helps us in following Jesus. David writes in Psalm 39:4 (ESV), “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!” He didn't consider contemplating the brevity of life to be a bad thing. Instead, David prayed to the Lord and asked for the ability to better comprehend how short his life truly was. The same idea was expressed by Moses in Psalm 90:12 (ESV): “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Both of these prominent Old Testament figures understood that when we recognize our life is “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14; NIV), we are actually motivated to make the most of the time we have on this earth to glorify God. If we start to think to ourselves that we can wait until later to be more serious about our relationship with God, be more active in serving Him, or be more intentional about cultivating meaningful and God-honoring relationships, we run the risk of having our lives pass before us like a mist before we even recognize that it has occurred. Ultimately, we're not guaranteed we'll have a “later” in which to accomplish things for the glory of God. In the parable of the rich fool, found in Luke 12, Jesus told of a man who spent his time and energy saving up goods that he could enjoy in the latter years of his life. But in Luke 12:20 (BSB), Jesus reports that God said to the man, “'You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?'” As followers of Jesus, we must recognize that tomorrow isn't promised. By seriously contemplating the brevity of our lives and our impending death, we can live with proper urgency and a correct order of priorities. For those of us who trust in Christ alone for salvation, the thought of death shouldn't drive us to despair. Because of the victory accomplished by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, if we have a saving belief in His life, death, and resurrection, there shouldn't be fear of passing from this earth because of the glorious reality which awaits us. Speaking of his impending death in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV), the Apostle Paul said, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” So today, let’s intentionally think about the brevity of our lives, and respond with an urgency to glorify God with whatever amount of time He has allotted to us. I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that I no longer have to be afraid of death because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Please help me to recognize how short my life on earth is and to live with an urgency to make much of You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. Do you find it difficult to think about the reality of death? Why or why not? 2. If you were to truly grasp the brevity of life on earth, how do you think your life would look different than it does now?
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