“Life is hard, and then you die.” I have seen many versions of that rather pitiful view of life. Its origin is unsure. The one thing that is sure is that it is a cynical view of this world. But when you live in a world that has no hope of its own, it is a legitimate view.
I like Paul’s view better. He expressed it in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. In fact, as I age, it becomes even more precious!
“While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.” [vs 4-5 NLT]
I admit I do a lot of groaning and sighing! I groan when I get out of bed, and sigh when I go to sleep! I have developed my “father’s noise” that always escaped his lips when he climbed out of his recliner.
Paul says, however, that for those who have surrendered their lives to God, these bodies that are weathered and beaten by time and living will one day be “swallowed up by life.” God has “prepared us for this” and to guarantee that promise He has given us His Holy Spirit.
There is even more … “So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord…. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” [vs 6, 8 NLT]
So yes, “Life is hard, and then you die,” but for the Christian, that is when it gets REALLY GOOD! Amen
