If you only had one day to live…

I recently have been thinking through the question, What would I do if I only had one day to live? Maybe this has crossed your mind at some point, too. Many other questions swirled in my mind as I considered this question. What would I talk about? Who would I talk to? What would I do? What would be important to me? Have you ever considered this question or these questions?

Two people come to mind when I begin to contemplate this. First, my friend Jack Drury. I remember receiving the phone call from the hospital. It was during the COVID pandemic. Because of the news they had given to him, the hospital allowed my brother and I to go see him. When we arrived, he told us with a smile on his face, “I’m going to heaven.” His medical doctors had explained to him that a recent bout with COVID had left his lungs in terrible shape. And, although he looked great sitting there in the bed, he was very sick. They anticipated he would die, possibly that day. He had only his church family nearby. Throughout the rest of the day, Pastor Craig and I, alongside his wife and adopted church daughter, sat with him. We listened to him; we talked to him. In a situation like this, you wonder what the conversation would be. Well, on this day, it was all about heaven and the Bible. He couldn’t have been more excited about going to heaven. Even with death staring him in the face, I have never had a more sweeter time than those hours spent together reflecting on the Bible and heaven, plus a few more topics of interest. As I walked away from that day and since, I have wondered what I would have talked about, thought about, or done.

Another friend also comes to mind. Near the time of Jack’s death, I had another close friend die. Beth Adams enjoyed a perfect day. She served others with her morning, supported a grandchild with her afternoon, enjoyed supper with her husband, and was headed to go serve at her church when it happened. A twenty-year-old man running from the police blew through a stop sign in a stolen box truck and crashed into my friend’s small SUV. She died immediately. Shock rocked all of us as we tried to wrestle with what had happened. Alive and living a life to serve God and others one moment; dead in the next. For her, her last day of life spoke volumes, even though she did not know it to be her last. Instead, she lived that day selflessly serving others and our Lord. Again, the somewhat pressing question came to mind, What would I do if I only had one day to live?

What would I do? Say? Think? Wish?

If I only had one day to live, what would I do? Who would I call, text, email, or write? What would I put online? If today were my last day, what would this day be about?

I hope it would be about two things: loving God supremely and loving others sincerely. The two great commandments that have served as guides for years, hopefully would guide me on my last day as well. The Gospel of Matthew captures Jesus’ words:

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus described what we often call the first and second great commandments – to love God supremely and love our neighbors sincerely.

These are the two verses that I hope would direct my final day, final hours, and final minutes.

What is my concern?

With those two verses as my guide, I hope I would live my last day in thoughtful consideration of God and those around me. My concern or fear is that somehow it would be on myself. My concern is that I would think, “This is my final day, what do I want to do?” “What would make me the most happy?” Would I pull out my bucket list and go from there? “What’s left? What can I get done today?” Is it possible my thinking would go something like this – “I would hate to die without doing or accomplishing everything I want!”?

So what would my words be? Who would I want to talk to? Write? Communicate with?

Would my final day be more like my Savior, and in similar ways to my friends Jack and Beth, or would my last day be more like the way I live some when I do not know I am going to die?

My Savior’s Last Day versus My Normal Day

On Jesus’ last day, we see that He spent time with God and with those He loved. The Gospel of John describes his conversation (John 13-18). Jesus spent the day in meaningful conversation with the disciples, as well as spending much time in prayer. While with His disciples, He washed their feet and ate with them. He still was teaching them throughout the day. Jesus talked about heaven, life, glorifying God, and loving others. On Jesus’ last day, it seems as if it was totally focused on loving God supremely and loving others sincerely.

What about if I knew it was going to be my last day? Would I be about my Father’s business? Would I serve God and others? Or, would my day be about me, what I want, what makes me happy, and what my flesh desires or craves? Would I be overwhelmed with peace and gratitude for salvation and the secure hope of heaven?

Now for the harder question: What about my normal day? If today – a normal day – were my last, would I spend it loving God supremely and loving my neighbor sincerely or would it simply be about me?

Lots to chew on. What if today were my last?

If you are not prepared for eternity, death, or heaven, please click here and read this.