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“Quantity Or Quality?”
Categories: Daily Living, Death & Eternity“Quality Or Quantity?”
Jarrod Jacobs
A while back, I heard the story of an 18 year-old girl who had a very rare, incurable form of cancer. She had fought it, but was told there was basically no hope of a cure. She decided to stop all treatments, medicate for pain management, and wait for death.
It was a sad story, but one thing she maintained was that she wanted to “enjoy life.” She said she wanted a “quality life,” rather than, in her words, “just exist.” We might expect such talk from an 81 year-old, but not from an 18 year-old. She said she wanted “joy,” and “happiness,” and knew that endless doctor’s appointments would not provide it.
After hearing this girl’s story, I couldn’t help but think, “I hope she is a Christian.” And, “If she cannot look forward to a home in Heaven, then all the traveling she gets to do, and the ‘joy’ she thinks she has will be hollow.” There is a lesson for us in this. Regardless of our life-span, true quality of life is based upon whether or not we are a child of God (Acts 2:38). Solomon said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13). One day, all of us will face death (Heb. 9:27). When this happens, the most important question will be, “Did I die as a Christian?” Since no one has a lease on life (Jas. 4:14), this decision needs to be made today (II Cor. 6:2; Mk. 16:16)! Our relationship with God, not long years on earth, is what brings true quality to our lives!
