The Living Dead

Let's face it. The minute we are born, we begin to die. Well, at least physically. Kind of a depressing thought, isn't it?

But here's the deal: it's only depressing if we focus on dying. Personally, I don't like to think about death at all. However, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon had this to say:

A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool only thinks about having a good time. (7:4)

In Psalm 90:12, Moses tells us basically the same thing:

Teach us to realize the brevity of live, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)

I think what God's word is telling us is to always keep in mind that we are going to die, but not to stop living.

I recently had the opportunity to view a powerful speech that perfectly illustrates this line of thought. A gentleman by the name of Randy Pausch, who is a professor at the esteemed Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania, was reprising what's known as his "last lecture" to his students. You see, Randy is dying. He has pancreatic cancer, and he has been told he only has a couple months to live.

And, that is exactly what he is doing. He's LIVING. He's not spending his final weeks on earth dying. He's passionately sharing his LIFE with anyone and everyone who will listen. He is continuing to touch lives, and will likely touch millions more even after he passes away.

As I watched Dr. Pausch, choking back tears all the while, I couldn't help but ask myself one question: WOULD I BE FOCUSED ON LIVING, OR DYING, IF I WAS IN HIS SITUATION?

I was inspired by his words, lifted by his positive attitude, and challenged by his resolve in sharing his "final" message - not with the world - but with his three children.

I hope you can take 11 minutes out of your hectic day to watch this life-changing speech. If you do, I think you'll get a picture of a life that Paul said builds a "solid foundation for the future, so that we know what true life is like."

To view the video, please click HERE.