Facing Death

Ever notice how our culture works overtime to avoid the topic of death? We cover gray hair, chase youth through diets and creams, and fill our schedules to keep from thinking about what’s waiting at the end of the road. Solomon, though, won’t let us look away. In Ecclesiastes 9, he drags the idea of death into the light—not to depress us, but to help us live with honesty and purpose.

He starts with a sobering truth: “It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked” (Ecclesiastes 9:2 ESV). No matter how moral, wealthy, or wise you are, death comes for everyone. It’s the great equalizer. This thought can sound heavy, even cruel, but Solomon’s point is not despair—it’s clarity. You can’t truly live until you’ve made peace with dying. Pretending we’re immortal only cheapens the life we’ve been given.

That realization leads to another: death reveals the futility of human effort apart from God. We spend our days building, collecting, and achieving, but none of it can outlast the grave. As Solomon writes, “The same fate comes to all… the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). He’s not saying life is meaningless, but that life without God is. Death exposes that truth with merciless honesty.

Still, Solomon isn’t calling us to despair—he’s calling us to wisdom. “He who is joined with all the living has hope,” he says, “for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). As long as we’re breathing, there’s a chance to change course, to repent, to seek God. Every day of life is a divine opportunity to live with purpose. When you recognize that your days are numbered, you stop wasting them.

Paul understood that perspective better than anyone. Writing from a Roman prison, unsure whether he would live or die, he declared, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). That’s not poetic exaggeration—it’s gospel reality. Because of Christ’s resurrection, death is no longer our enemy. The cross turned the grave into a doorway. When Paul faced death, he didn’t cower; he rejoiced, knowing that dying meant being with Christ forever.

That kind of faith transforms how we view life. Instead of fearing the inevitable, we live each moment as an act of worship. Solomon even encourages us to “eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). In other words, don’t let fear or futility steal your joy. Enjoy the gifts of life—family, love, work, worship—because they’re blessings from the hand of God.

Yet Solomon also warns that life is unpredictable. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the wisest person doesn’t always succeed. “Time and chance happen to them all,” he writes (Ecclesiastes 9:11). We can’t control the outcome, no matter how skilled or disciplined we are. That’s not a reason to give up—it’s an invitation to trust. Only God holds the future. The wise person learns to rest in His providence instead of chasing control.

Paul echoes that same trust in Philippians 1. Though his future was uncertain, he said, “I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). That’s the key: to honor Christ with every breath. Whether we live or die, our purpose doesn’t change. We exist to glorify God. When that truth sinks in, fear loses its grip.

So what do we do with all this talk about death? We live. We live wisely, joyfully, and faithfully. We love deeply, forgive quickly, and serve eagerly. We use our short time on earth to reflect the light of eternity. “Whatever your hand finds to do,” Solomon says, “do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Not because life is meaningless—but because every moment matters in the hands of God.

Here’s the bottom line: without Jesus, death is the thief that steals everything. But with Jesus, death is simply the servant that brings us home. The gospel equips us to face our greatest fear with unshakable hope. Christ’s empty tomb turns life’s futility into fulfillment. So don’t run from death—redeem your days through faith in the One who conquered it.