I watched someone die today

I was riding in a cab like any other day.

Going to a golf course to do some calls while on the driving range.

I was sitting on the passenger side, as my cab passed through an intersection, I looked over and saw a motorcyclist barreling directly towards my door.

In an instant, they slammed head and shoulders first into the cab, just a few inches from where I was sitting.

I looked out of the rear window and saw the carnage of an exploded motorcycle and its owner laying lifeless on the ground.

As I got out of the car, the intersection rapidly filled with people and stopped cars. I remember thinking that there was no way the motorcyclist could have lived through the crash. They were traveling too fast, and hit way too hard.

The cab driver came and asked if we were okay, and then shocked me when he asked,

“Did I run a red light?”

Wow…

After calling 911 and waiting for the emergency vehicles to arrive, the full breadth of the situation began to settle in. People crowded around, trying to see if the person was okay. The way their body was contorted, and the lifelessness as they lay amongst the wreckage of the bike was so eerie.

I have been to a number of funerals in my life, but I have never seen someone die before; nothing could prepare me for that sudden, surreal moment.

Afterwards, I started to consider how such an accident was an incredible coincidence, but then realized that it was nothing of the sort.

God has been working on me so that I can understand what is truly important in life, and despite having had many lessons on this, it took this person dying in front of me to snap out of some of my long standing ideas and behavior.

As I stood there, observing this stranger’s sudden death, I asked God to be with their family.

But as time progressed, and I started thinking more about the situation, I started to feel a deep spiritual conviction regarding all the time I had wasted in my life, and how much time I was wasting in the present.

If I died suddenly, would I be comfortable standing in front of God, giving an account of my life? Who and what was it that I had been serving throughout my life?

Did I serve Him?
Did I serve mankind?
Did I serve satan?

I realized that all of my sinful, and innocent “selfish”, behavior was nothing more than a waste of time.

Who cares if I have a beautiful wife, I could die and it wouldn’t matter.
Who cares if I get rich, I could die and it wouldn’t matter.
Who cares if I have hair or not, I could die and it wouldn’t matter.
Who cares if I am the best WoW or Tekken player, I could die and it wouldn’t matter.
Who cares if I have dreams and ambitions, I could die and it wouldn’t matter.

Truly, I came face to face with what I know is the beginning of true salvation: the fear and respect of God’s will.

If I died at a particular moment, would I be proud of what I was doing or what I had done with my life in general? Would all the movies I watched, the food I ate, the money I spent, the clothes I bought, the professional successes I had, or anything else I did or had matter if I was standing in front of God?

In God’s presence, would I feel incredibly foolish trying to explain why I spent so much time focused on hobbies, sex, money, and all sorts of things that did not glorify God?

Of course.

“God, I know you don’t like sexual sin, but at that particular moment, I wanted to satisfy a lustful desire more than I cared whether it hurt your feelings or not”

“God, you told me very clearly that the love of money was the root of all evil, but I enjoyed the freedom I felt when I was able to buy and do whatever I wanted and would do anything to feel that”

“God, I never doubted you wanted me to serve you by preaching the gospel, but I was too scared to actually do it”

What possible justification could I have for sin and lack of obedience in my life?

No matter what I strive for, or what I hope to achieve in this life, it is totally pointless and without meaning. So what is the point of chasing anything in this life that does not glorify God or bring people into his eternal kingdom?

Romans 14:23
“…everything that does not come from faith is sin”

In my experiences as a Christian in North America, it is so easy to get caught up in a lifestyle that does not feel bad or disobedient. We earn money, we pay our taxes, we give our tithes, we raise families, etc… but really, what are we doing in our lives that is causing us to store up riches in heaven?

Christians and non-Christians alike obsess over their 401k plans and stock portfolios, live and breathe their favorite sports teams, movie stars, and musicians, endlessly swoon over their relationships, as well chase after lofty career goals so they can have enough money to attain a “better life.”

None of these things seem insidious, but they can all create distance between ourselves and God if we are not careful.

So what in life truly has meaning?

I would say that there is very little in life that has meaning beyond growing as close to God as His spirit allows, and helping others do the same in whatever way God’s gifts within us allow.

The person who died on that motorcycle did not know they were going to die that day, and for all I know, they had just won the lottery or got an amazing promotion and were rushing home to tell their family. They will never talk to anyone among the living again, and I can only hope that they were right with God before they died.

I want to make sure I am right with God and live each day prepared to face Him at any moment; fearing God this way is a key to overcoming sin.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

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