mortality

Earlier this month, tech multi-millionaire and anti-aging obsessionist Bryan Johnson invited 2,500 people to apply for a spot in his latest endeavor. The project’s goal is simply, “Don’t die.”

The wisest man who ever lived (apart from Christ) noted, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). The greatest theologian in history added that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

The omniscient Lord of the universe exhorts us: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

God wants us to “understand” him intellectually and then to “know” him intimately.

Let’s reframe our mortality by using it to empower us for eternal purposes. Let’s seize every day as God’s gift to be employed for his glory and the good of others. Let’s love our Lord and our neighbor with passion and service (Mark 12:30-31). If we do, we’ll experience the transforming presence of Christ and the abundant life he alone can give (John 10:10).

It seems that reminders of our mortality have dominated the news lately, and, unlike a marathon, none of us know where the finish line is for us.

The desperate race for immortality is not an attempt to reverse the effects of sin. Rather, it reflects just how desperate man – without God – is to exert complete control over the cosmos, and to have life on our own terms.