Is it good to contemplate your own death? Some would say it’s a morbid thing to do, but the word of God says otherwise. There are passages throughout the Bible that call us to remember the brevity of life—that our lives are but a vapor, that they are like a passing shadow, or like the flower of the field that soon withers away.
There is wisdom in contemplating this reality. Listen to Moses’ prayer to God, “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away… So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:10, 12 NASB95). It may seem hard for us to believe (especially the young among us), but 80 years goes by like the blink of an eye. Soon our lives are gone and we fly away. We cannot escape this truth. We should not avoid this truth. Instead, like Moses, we should ask God to teach us to number our days! Why? Because considering our own mortality will help us to be wise with the time we do have.
How does pondering the brevity of life help us to present a heart of wisdom to God?
It helps us make the most of our time. If life is short, each moment is precious. Each moment is a gift from God. How are you going to use your time? When we learn to number our days, we learn to avoid the wasteful pursuits that can easily dominate our days.
It helps us live with eternity in mind. It reminds us that this life is not all there is—that we’re briefly passing through. Realizing the brevity of life causes us to prepare for eternity rather than putting our hopes in the temporary things of this world.
It helps us not put off until tomorrow what we know we should do today. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. Given this truth, are there things you need to do today? Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there a good deed that you need to do? Is there someone you need to share your faith with?
I wonder if you would pray this prayer of Moses today? What a difference it would make in our lives. God, teach us to number our days!
—Scott Colvin
