By Dr. Bethel Webb

Lately, I’ve been shaken by the sudden loss of several friends and loved ones. They were young, vibrant, and lived lives of deep purpose. They loved Jesus and served Him faithfully.

Closer to home, I have family members struggling with illnesses that chip away at their quality of life. And even I have faced unnerving health scares that left me gripped with fear.

These experiences have pressed two questions into my heart:

1. If death could come tomorrow, how should I live today?

2. How can I prepare myself—and those around me—for my own death?

I don’t want to dwell in a morbid state of fear or become someone obsessed with death. I’m not afraid of dying itself, but I do fear the pain of it—and the ache my absence might leave in the lives of those I love.

Still, I wonder: in a world of medical advancements and endless distractions, have we forgotten the brevity of life? I know I have—until something jolts me awake again. It’s easy to lose sight of what matters, chasing comfort and fleeting pleasures instead of pursuing what truly makes life meaningful: loving God and loving people. I believe this with all my heart, yet my life often reflects a different story.

So, how do I live well in the time I have?

A Life Well Lived

1. Loving God

If I am created to have a relationship with God, then it makes sense that a life well lived is spent pursuing and loving God. For most of my life, I didn’t know how to do that. So here are two ways I believe we can love God.

• Knowing Him and Being Known by Him: Pursue a deep, personal relationship with God. Spend time in His Word and in prayer, seeking to understand His character and His will. Be honest with God. He already knows the depths of your heart, but He still longs for you to tell Him as an act of intimacy. The comfort and peace that comes from closeness with God melts away all the anxiety and fear that may plague us.

• Obeying Him: Live in alignment with His commands, not out of obligation but as an act of love and trust. God’s ways help us to live rightly in the world He created. It’s not a powerplay when He asks us to obey Him. Quite the opposite. It is out of love that He gives us instructions for how to live in a world He created. This is the way to flourishing and a life well lived.

2. Loving Others

Included in our design is the call to love others, but sin has made us self-centered and suspicous of others. As a result, it has made us feel more lonely. And we already know, a lonely life is not a life well lived.

• Knowing Others and being known by others: Invest in relationships. Be present, listen well, and seek to understand the people God has placed in your life. But also, open up your life to others. Let them know you and see you. This experience of mutual knowing is fulfilling and deeply satisfying.

• Living for Others: Make sacrifices that benefit others. Be generous with your time, resources, and energy.

• Making the World Better Place for all: Leave a legacy of kindness, justice, and love. Look for ways to serve and uplift others in both big and small ways.

Preparing for Death

You may be saying, “Bethel, I am still young. Can you just relax?” I understand this sentiment. But then again, death comes at any age and could come at any moment. So a passive stance is not good enough for me.

As for myself, I will prepare for my death through meditating on heaven and the reality that earth is not my final home. I will let that truth shape how I live today. This ties deeply with the loving God and loving others.

I don’t remember the last time I thought about heaven. Mostly just when someone dies. But this comfort-that there is life beyong earth-is a gift for me today. Thank God there is more to life than what I have in this earth.

As for my loved ones, I will prepare them by doing the same: meditate on heaven and embrace the eternal perspective that brings peace. You will see me again.

Rev. 21:4 reads, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

And as long as I live with them, I will point them to Jesus in both word and deed. Live in a way that shows the hope and joy found in Him.

The Bottom Line

Life is fleeting. We can exercise, eat well, and take all the supplements, but death will still come. This doesn’t mean we neglect caring for our bodies—stewardship is important—but it reminds us that our ultimate goal isn’t merely to extend our days. It’s to fill them with love for God and others.

A life well lived isn’t defined by what we’ve achieved or accumulated but by how faithfully we’ve loved. And when the time comes, may we leave behind not just memories but a legacy that points others to the One who gives life meaning—even in the face of death.