It isn't too surprising to find that the fear of dying is one of the top "fears" that people around the world admit to dealing with in their day to day lives. What was surprising is that a fear of snakes, spiders, and other creepy crawly things ranked higher than the fear of death. In my own mind it isn't that I'm afraid of dying, but more so it is the fear of not living out the life God has given me to live, and fulfilling His purpose that I was uniquely created to fulfill.
Make no mistake, you were created on purpose for a purpose. In all of history, there has never been an exact carbon copy of your DNA, your mind, body, or soul. This includes every thought, attitude, and mindset that you possess, they belong to you and you have complete control over them. This should serve as a motivation for us, but unfortunately, way too many people spend their time not living the life they were designed to live, replacing God's purpose with the plan of making sure they do all they can to satisfy their own worldly bucket list. If God designed me on purpose than that surely means God has something that He wants me to accomplish for His glory. I just don't want to miss out on doing what I was meant to do.
How do we know if we are fulfilling God's purpose for our life? We may never fully know the exact answer to that question, but I'm pretty sure we can conclude what wasn't on God's mind. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” Ephesians 2:8-10. Paul was reminding the Christians in Ephesus that they were created to do the "good works" that they were created to fulfill. If what we "do" each day doesn't feel like it is having a positive impact on others then I would most likely suggest you re-evaluate what your main priority is in life.
You can live your life working, or you can work your entire life and never really live. You can incorporate God's will for you to do "good works" through your work, your past-times, and your relationships. By living your life in that fashion, I believe you will fulfill God's purpose. God doesn't need us to change the world, although by sharing the love that God has placed in our hearts with those that are hurting and need to see God in action, your random act of kindness may be the very change God created you for on that particular day and at that particular moment!
Sadly, there will be way too many people that do not fulfill their purpose. That is the downside to free will, you can choose to fulfill your purpose modeling the life Jesus lived out as your model, or you can choose to live out a life that on the surface feels like it is satisfying, yet at the end of your life there will be a definite void where there should exist contentment and confidence. Don't be afraid to die, but most definitely be afraid of not living out the life God purposed you to live before you die!
Coach Carter
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