The End of the Christian Life: Lenten Study Companion, Week 2
Author: J. Todd Billings and Kaitlyn DeVries
February 26, 2026
Two Views of Mortality: Is Death an Enemy or a Friend?
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” –Job 1:21 (NIV)
My elderly friend Walter always seemed thrilled to see me and anyone else he met. He embodied a gratitude and energy for life. Yet, still with a smile on his face, he would tell me how he sure was thankful that he wasn’t going to live forever! He entered into each day he was given. But he also realized that the goodness of creaturely life is not static, separated from passing of time. He had lived many decades and was now in the final arc of his life. The Lord gave, and the Lord would take away. His family and fortune would return to dust. And the Lord would continue to be worthy of trust, worthy of praise.
Scripture contains more than one view of death that can fit with our stories of dying. For Walter, dying was a dimension of a God-given arc of living. Even the losses and challenges in aging were approached as opportunities to deepen his trust in the One true source of life. At other times, death strikes down a loved one, and we are undone, left speechless. We cry out deeply and lament. This view of death is also scriptural. Death will be the final enemy to be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). In the meantime, death is a raw wound, a stinging offense. We can’t discern the logic of why God would allow the death of, and even take away, our loved one. It is beyond our human understanding.
As we walk the journey of Lent this season, we are invited to live as creatures who are dying. We are invited to offer up to God the temporary gifts we have — of breath, of family, of material provision. They all belong to God and will be taken away when “naked [we] will depart.” In gratitude for these temporary gifts, our Lord invites us to trust that he alone can deliver us from death.
Practice:
- Daily: Whether we are young or old, ill or healthy, life is a gift, completely dependent upon God the giver. At the end of each day this week, write down three gifts that you thank God for. These can be very mundane but are nevertheless significant — the softness of bedsheets, the smile of a family member, the delight of eating a pear. Thank God for these gifts and seek to be attentive to the many daily ways God provides for you.
- This Week: Do you know of someone, full of years, accepting the reality of their approaching death? Do you know someone who has lost a family member suddenly and unexpectedly? In a way that is fitting for the circumstance, reach out to that person this week.
Prayer:
As you pray, thank the Lord for the good, but temporary, gifts of life, of breath, and of material possessions. Can you say with Job, no matter the circumstance, “May the name of the Lord be praised”?
Study based on The End of the Christian Life, by J. Todd Billings. Used with permission.
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