Many of you are likely aware that Pastor Timothy Keller passed away last week from pancreatic cancer.  He was the founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, the co-founder of The Gospel Coalition, a prolific writer, and a truly godly theologian.  Check here if you’d like to read more about this servant of God.

A few months after Dale’s death, Pastor Keller’s book, “Walking with God through Pain and Suffering” just “happened” to show up as one of my BookBub deals and I immediately knew it was meant for me in that moment.  It was an incredibly insightful and healing book that helped me to view Dale’s death with a more eternal perspective, and to understand that Jesus is our suffering Savior who fully understands our heartache.

So often we hear the phrase that someone “lost their battle” with whatever terminal condition they may have been suffering from.  A secular news source used that exact phrase when reporting on Keller’s death. And it certainly does feel very much like a battle, not only to the person inflicted, but to all those who love and care for them on that journey.

This post is not an attempt to minimize the agonizing process of suffering, or the witnessing of it. We are well aware that it’s an element of living in a fallen world.  But, as believers, we can have a more hopeful, more eternal, and I’d like to propose, more accurate view of suffering.

I had a small glimmer of what that might mean just last week.  I’ve had what I’ll call a “health concern” off and on for the past few months.  Eventually (through some “random” God nudges), I saw my primary doctor who sent me in for some tests and a follow-up with a specialist in this field.

While I know this all sounds very ominous, I won’t make you wait to hear the outcome.  I’m fine!  Just a very minor prescription and all is good to go.

However, as I was waiting for results, I found myself going down the path of, “What if this is cancer?”  If you hang around with me either through this blog or in person, you’ve heard me say (maybe ad nauseum!), “I’m ready to go.”

It’s true that I am not afraid to die because I know what lies ahead.

But this “in your face” moment did cause me to take a beat, so to speak, and analyze just how I might address it.

Now rest assured, these are always very personal decisions for everyone.  No one right answer. This is where I landed:

I would definitely take reasonable measures to eliminate the cancer.  But would I undergo debilitating treatments that robbed me of all of my strength just to gain a little extra time?  For me that answer would be no. 

But I completely understand why someone would do all they could to keep their life here on earth.  Kids or grandkids they want to see graduate or get married or have their own children.  Life goals that haven’t been accomplished.  Ministry goals that haven’t been completed.  At least in our human eyes.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the desire to long for those joys to continue.

Here is where I want to offer a little perspective, and it takes us back to the post title.  When, not if, any one of us succumbs to whatever takes our earthly lives, will we as Christians consider that we have lost the battle?

Or will we recognize that, while we definitely were in a battle and fought a battle, it was actually won for us by Christ, who fought on the cross on our behalf.  He has already won the battle.  Praise God for that truth!

To quote Pastor Keller, ““All death can now do to Christians is to make their lives infinitely better.”  Amen, brother!

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21