God tells his disciples in Matthew 10:7, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ ”

When I read this passage I immediately thought of my friend who was killed in a car crash. When I was thinking about this, I remembered a Bible lesson in seventh grade when the teacher talked about the likelihood that as we moved on with our lives after graduating from grade school, high school, and college that eventually we would have people close to us pass away. Of course, like most 13-year-olds, I already knew that. In fact, I remember hearing awful news every year about friends of mine who had grandparents or other older relatives who passed away. I knew that it was just the cycle of life. We as Christians have the hope that God will eventually take us to be with him in heaven. At the time I didn’t really think too hard about death. It didn’t cross my mind that God would choose to end the life of a friend who was my age, just three years later.

My friend’s death made me realize that life is incredibly short compared to eternity. God could take us to be with him at any time—a minute, a week, or maybe 50 years from now. It doesn’t matter.

God put us on this earth for two main reasons. The first reason is to come to faith ourselves. The second is to help bring God’s Word to as many people as possible, telling them just as Matthew 10:7 stated: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Our job is not to create faith in others; the Holy Spirit does that. But what we can do is share our hope of eternal life through Christ Jesus with others.

Before my friend’s death, no matter how many times I was told that it was possible that God could end my life or a life of a friend at any time, I really didn’t believe that death at a young age would happen to me or to people close to me. But thinking this way is not being prepared at all. 

Be honest. Have you ever caught yourself thinking, I’ll have tons of time later when I’m older to have a strong faith? I have come to realize that these are the things Satan uses to tempt us and if we keep thinking these things our faith will wither and eventually die.

Every obstacle in our lives gives us an opportunity to turn to God’s love for strength. He strengthens us through those promises. But obstacles might also turn us away from Jesus and his promises. Then faith grows weak.

There are stories in the Bible about death and how Jesus dealt with it. One story talks about how the heart of Jesus went out to a widow who lost her son. Jesus told her not to cry, and he showed his power over death by raising the widow’s son from the dead. Jesus was human like us, and he went through the same things we go through.