Ecclesiastes 7:2 “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.”
In the first part of Ecclesiastes, Solomon is trying to find meaning in his life. In the second verse of this book, he states, “‘Everything is meaningless,’ says the teacher, ‘completely meaningless.’” The definition of meaningless is having no purpose or reason. The problem is he was looking for meaning and purpose without God. He hated life because everything he was doing seemed to not matter. In his quest for meaning, he then finds himself telling us it is better to spend time at funerals than parties. Most anyone I know, would tell you that they hate funerals and they usually go only if it is a family member or social pressure. This suggestion is not for us to think morbidly. It is to remind us that each of us will run out of time here on earth. We will run out of time to tell those we love how they have impacted our life. We will no longer be able to right those relationships that have been fractured. It is at funerals that we get a glimpse of what the future holds for us. No one lives on the earth forever. We can learn many life lessons in death. Psalm 90:12 tells us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
That reality is never more evident than at a house of mourning. I just recently experienced this after spending time with a good friend who was hours away from breathing her last breath. The house was full of those she loved and who loved her. All those unspoken words that needed to be said were finally released. There was nothing left unsaid. The finality of death shouts no more time, no more words. No more would of, could of, should of. Death is a gift given to the living. It is a reminder that we can make a change on how we live our life. Are we chasing things that really don’t matter? Are we loving those that are in our lives with the love of Christ? Do we need to change the direction on how we are living? We know we have no guarantees for another day. Bryce Morgan writes, “Knowing your time is limited should not lead you to waste your days, but to seize your days; to not take them for granted.” To live carefully and courageously. Right? That is wisdom. So do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today. There is no promise of tomorrow. Your last day is ahead of you. So how will you spend your last day?
Lord, may we be doing Your work and living our best life on our last day!
– Michele
