Tag Archives: health

Why Do We Want to Live Forever?

There is something strange about the way human beings think about death. We know we’re going to die. Nobody is surprised by this information, and yet something deep within humanity keeps reaching for life. Why is that?”

One would think going to a funeral would be a big clue, or the fact that we see ourselves aging over the years. And yet, we spend an incredible amount of time, energy, and money trying not to die.

David Sinclair, a genetics professor at Harvard Medical School and prominent longevity researcher, has even discussedthe possibility that advances in aging research could dramatically extend human lifespan. Think about that. We aren’t just trying to live healthier. We’re trying to figure out how to keep living.

In addition, it doesn’t take too many conversations with friends to hear them talk about taking supplements, drinking shakes, and trying any new fad to help them prolong death as much as possible. 

We monitor our blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, sleep cycles, steps, calories, and whatever else our watch decides we should be worried about today. None of those things are bad, and taking care of our bodies is good. But, why is everyone so determined to stay alive?

DEATH ISN’T NORMAL

Sometimes people will say at a funeral, “Death is just a natural part of life.” But we don’t really believe that do we? If death is simply natural, why do we fight it so hard? Why does the death of someone we love feel so wrong? Maybe it’s because somewhere deep within the human experience, we know death isn’t the way things are supposed to be. 

The opening chapters of Genesis tell a very different story about death than our culture often does. Genesis 1–2 describes humanity living in God’s creation with access to life for eternity. There’re no texts from a family member in the middle of the night about someone going to the hospital. Everything is perfect! But, then Genesis 3 happens and sin fractures everything God created to be good.

One of those consequences is that death is coming, “For you are dust and dust you shall return.” Genesis doesn’t ask us to make peace with death by pretending death is beautiful. Genesis says death is an enemy. Something has gone terribly wrong and death is like an alarm to humanity going off, “Something is wrong.”

DEATH IS COMING

Maybe that explains something about humanity? We were created for life, so that even though we know death is coming, we are trying our hardest to live as long as possible, so that we don’t have to think about the inevitable. 

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with going to the doctor or exercising. Please go to the doctor. But underneath our efforts to extend life is an interesting human longing: we don’t want this to end. But Genesis 3 keeps ringing the alarm: death is coming. 

AND THEN JESUS SHOWS UP

Isn’t it interesting that when Jesus shows up He largely talks about life? It’s like He knows the longings of our soul! Jesus could talk about so many different subjects but instead He makes bold claims like, “I am life!”

In fact, Jesus confronts death at the cross and 3 days later conquers death. Jesus doesn’t simply offer people advice about how to make the most of the years they have left. He doesn’t give helpful tips on how to live life. Instead, Jesus says, “I know where you can find life!”

Elsewhere Jesus describes Himself as the bread of life. In a conversation with a woman Jesus offers living water. It’s almost as though Jesus keeps speaking directly into this ancient longing humanity has carried since Genesis 3.

We say: “I don’t want to die.” Jesus says: “Come to Me and you can live.” We have a longing for something that lasts and Jesus says, “Come to Me and you will find everlasting life.” Genesis 3 says humanity will return to the dust, so Jesus goes into the grave, the very thing humanity has spent its entire existence trying to escape, and He rises from the dead.

DEATH IS STILL COMING

Death is still real and painful, but now through faith in Jesus, death is no longer final. This doesn’t mean followers of Jesus can stop caring about their health. It doesn’t mean we don’t grieve at funerals. But followers of Jesus can walk into those moments with a different kind of hope.

Our hope isn’t: “I’m sure the doctor will give me good news.” Our hope is: “Whatever the doctor tells me, I’m with Jesus.” We can pray boldly for healing in scary moments because we believe God is powerful enough to heal, but we can also wait confidently in those moments when He doesn’t heal.

Christian hope isn’t confidence that everything will work out the way we want. It’s confidence that Jesus has already determined how the story ultimately ends. That’s why a follower of Jesus can grieve deeply and still have hope. We aren’t pretending death doesn’t hurt. We’re declaring that death doesn’t win.

When Anxiety Starts Growing

I tend to get overwhelmed easily. My brain will focus on a conversation and I will replay the conversation in my head over and over. Pretty soon my worries have evolved like a Pokemon evolution into a whole new problem that is always bigger and scarier than the original problem.

When I find myself in that place, I try to center my thoughts on three areas:

  • What is my responsibility.
  • What isn’t my responsibility.
  • How to move forward.

Then, I make a list of what is my responsibility. I can take a shower. I can get dressed. I can spend time in God’s Word and prayer. This initial movement alone gets my brain out of the “ideating” stage where I loop stress and anxiety and helps me start taking steps forward.

What Is My Responsibility

When I start to think about the specific conversation or event that is causing me stress I try to write down the details of those events. Who is involved? What happened? What was said? Again, these steps help me identify the nuts and bolts instead of getting swept up in emotion. I call it, “Taking Inventory.”

As long as the stress stays in my head the stress is always a blob of emotion swirling around, but simply writing down the nuts and bolts of the stress help me find this stage to be more manageable. I start to catch my breath. I start to see a path forward. I start to feel a little bit of hope in an area that felt hopeless.

What Isn’t My Responsibility

At this stage it helps me to clarify what I can’t change. I can’t change how someone responds. I can’t change how they are responding to the event / conversation. But I can show up prepared. I can listen well. I can reconsider based on what I learn from this interaction.

This little exercise takes only a few minutes. I typically write it into my phone in a text or Notes App. But I can feel my physical body start to relax as I go through this process. Most of my anxiety and stress comes from different scenarios in my head that might or might not happen. Most of the time, my anxiety isn’t coming from the stress of the event, but stress from something that is only happening in my head.

How to Move Forward

Now, I can focus on doing the best work I can bring to the table. If I don’t go through this process I can get stuck. But going through this process gives me a roadmap. I might get overwhelmed again, but now I have a reference point for me to come back to and re-evaluate.

The interesting thing about anxiety is that it usually wants to pull me away from the present moment. My mind starts racing toward outcomes, assumptions, worst case scenarios, and conversations that haven’t even happened yet.

But this process helps bring me back to reality: what is actually happening? What is my responsibility? What steps can I take forward? Sometimes the situation still feels hard. Sometimes the conversation still doesn’t go the way I hoped. Sometimes I still feel overwhelmed later in the day.

But now, instead of spiraling in every direction, I can focus on the next faithful step in front of me.