Would you rather go to a baby shower or visit someone in the ICU? For most of us, I think that’d be an easy choice. Would you rather hold a baby in your arms for the first time or place your hand for the last time on a loved ones’ casket? The answer’s clear, isn’t it? We’d choose life, birth, joy, happiness…
But listen to these words from wise Solomon: “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4). Surprised?
Sure, fun days are fun. Births are a blessing. But Solomon noticed that he could learn so much more from times of sadness. Have you found that to be true in your life too? It’s wise to reflect on the frailty of life. It’s wise to realize how weak we are. It’s wise to acknowledge our sinfulness. It’s wise to recognize how close death is to every single one of us. Why? So that we can trust in God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, and the eternal life we find in Jesus. Down days, even deadly moments, lead us to cling to Christ and his Word more than any other time. That makes the day of death better than the day of birth.
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