A Good Laugh in the Face of Creeping Death

Last updated on: September 16, 2014 at 1:56 pm by Andrew Schwab

A Good Laugh in the Face of Creeping Death 2014-09-16T13:56:03-07:00 Andrew Schwab

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Do you ever think about the fact that you are going to die? For most men, this a terrifying thought that is to be avoided at all costs. To me, the most scary fact about dying is not its inevitability, but the fact that we have zero control over when, or even how, that moment is going to come.

I can’t stand when something is beyond my control, because the desire to control my world is something that is hardwired into me. As it turns out, it is hardwired into every single man. Take a look at Genesis 2:15 for a little insight:

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

If you look a little deeper into the original language of this verse, you come to find out that God is speaking about our purpose, fundamentally, as guys. We have been placed here to tame our surroundings, to exercise our will over the earth. We were created to lead and orchestrate order. But then, man fell. And with our fall came death, along with eternal separation from our Creator. Our gender was then cursed in one very specific, agonizing way, as spelled out in Genesis 3: 17-19:

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you,and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your browyou will eat your fooduntil you return to the ground,since from it you were taken;for dust you areand to dust you will return.”

And thus, our purpose became twisted. God is saying here that we men will spend our whole lives trying to control a world that will not submit to us. Thus, our days will be warfare, a fight to survive and provide. But this is not the worst part. God also says our bodies are going to expire, despite any attempt to avert this inevitability. Every man lives in the wake of this curse. And all of us, when we really look at our lives honestly, are reacting to this curse every single day. And our lives, as well as our destinies, are determined by how react to God’s judgment of Adam. Think about this for a second…

We really can only respond in one of two ways. Most react by saying, I’m going to live it up. I’m going to get as much as I can from this world. What does this man look like in real life? He is ultimately a taker. He lives selfishly. He may appear like a good citizen and loving family man, but if pressed, he will choose himself over others. And he does this because he knows his time is short, and he fears the end that is coming. This is the way most live-eating, drinking, and being merry, for tomorrow they die. But realize, within this worldview is constant restlessness. As this man searches for some sort of solace, jumping from relationship to relationship, hobby to hobby, job to job, he leaves massive wounds and hurt in his wake. He is riddled with guilt. And as his end approaches he becomes increasingly erratic and fearful, sensing the judgment that lies ahead.

But there are a few of us who have chosen a second path. We have chosen to react to the curse by trusting that our Creator knew what was best for us, even when He handed down his punishments to Adam and Eve for their shortcomings. We accept that a higher power controls our ultimate fate. And within this acceptance comes freedom. We do not rely on “taking” from this life to find elusive happiness. We do not have a crisis of identity when we see death creeping nearer, because we believe death will only usher in a new, better existence. We do not hold onto this world with a vice grip, squeezing what we can out of it while we can. Instead, we live every day as a gift, giving of ourselves generously, in small ways and large, wherever the opportunity presents itself. And we will be remembered as men of peace, men of action, men of commitment, and men of stability.

Though death may inch ever closer we do not fear it. Death is just transition to a better place, a better life.

This is an excerpt from the forthcoming Tin Soldiers Study guide. When combined with The Tin Soldiers book it forms a complete 52-week curriculum for personal study and small groups. Preorder your copy here and get the book and t-shirt at a special price as well.

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