What Is Your Life?

Guest Post by Russell Poe

I recently saw an advertisement for AARP Medicare Supplement plans. In it, a healthy-looking woman in her sixties walks down a beautifully landscaped path. She stops, looks at the camera, and confidently says, “I’m only in my 60s – I’ve got a long life ahead of me – big plans.”

Her statement made me stop and wonder if I had heard her correctly.

The average life expectancy in America is about 77 years. Assuming this woman is in her mid-sixties, she has about 9 to 12 years left to live if she reaches that average. And that is only an assumption—she could easily pass away much sooner.

Even in Japan, which has one of the highest average life expectancies in the world at 80 years, she would only have 12 to 15 years left.

Statistically, she has less than an 18% chance of living to age 95. The odds are clearly not in her favor.

If someone told you that you had only 9 to 15 years left to live, would you call that a “long life ahead”? It is certainly not a long time, and it may not even be enough time for “big plans.”

Unfortunately, our society frequently ignores uncomfortable realities like death, choosing to turn away from solid facts and figures.

What the Bible Says About Lifespan

The Bible directly addresses our lifespan. In Psalm 90:10, Moses wrote:

The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

The eagerness to sell insurance products seems to override these biblical truths. Sadly, it is common for the world to ignore what God has to say about the brevity (shortness) of life.

A Simple Test of Biblical Accuracy

I recently conducted a quick, random test that confirmed the accuracy of the Bible. I looked at the obituary column in a Sunday edition of the Birmingham News.

There were 27 people listed who had recently passed away. Their ages ranged from 41 to 98.

When I averaged these ages together, the average lifespan was exactly 70.6 years old. This matches almost perfectly what Moses recorded thousands of years ago. Yet, many people still dismiss the Bible as a collection of fairy tales.

Think back to where you were ten years ago. Does it feel like a lifetime, or does it feel like yesterday?

If you have a ten-year-old child, you know how quickly that decade flew by. Ten to twelve years is a fleeting moment, not a long life.

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Are Young People Safe?

Some young people might look at obituaries and think death only happens to the elderly. But what about teenagers?

Statistics show that between 1996 and 2006, over 16,000 teenagers in America died each year. Homicide accounted for 13% of these deaths, and suicide accounted for 11%.

The leading cause of death for teenagers aged 12 to 19 was actually unintentional injury (accidents). Accidents killed nearly half of those 16,000 teenagers every single year.

As a parent of a teenager, these statistics are deeply concerning. It is tragic to think of so many young lives cut short by sudden, unplanned events.

This reality highlights the ultimate uncertainty of life. An accident can happen in an instant, with no warning and no time to prepare.

This is why it is so critical for everyone, especially young people, to consider their relationship with God. In James 4:13-14, the Bible warns:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

This truth applies to everyone, regardless of age. There are no guarantees in this life. You can be in perfect health today and gone tomorrow.

Of the teenagers who died of accidental injuries, 73% were killed in motor vehicle traffic accidents.

Even if you are a safe driver, you cannot control other drivers on the road. If you do not have your license yet, you are relying completely on someone else’s driving.

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Motivations for Faith

My goal is not to scare you into obeying the Gospel (the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ). God wants you to follow Him out of love and a sincere desire to submit to His will, not out of fear.

Obeying the Gospel involves hearing God’s word, believing in Him, repenting of sin, confessing faith in Jesus, and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

Still, these statistics should make us pause and think. Numbers do not lie, and our time is short. I pray you will examine your relationship with God today.

If you have obeyed the Gospel but are currently living in sin, you are gambling with your soul. Assuming you will have time to repent later is a dangerous risk.

God wants us to put away our modern idols (anything we put before God) and dedicate ourselves completely to Him.

Do not deceive yourself like one commenter online who wrote:

Anyone with sense knows that if you get enough vitamins and a proper diet you don’t get sick!!!

It is easy to fall into self-deception. However, God’s Word is the ultimate truth, and it tells us that tomorrow is never promised.

Scripture warns that the wages of sin is death, but it also offers the beautiful promise of eternal life. In heaven, there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain. Choose today to live for the One who died for you.