The Ultimate Life-Extension Plan

According to one study, if a 45-year-old man exercises regularly through the rest of his life and another man the same age exists as a couch potato, the exercising man will live only 10 months longer.

It's good to take care of our bodies and exercise them (1 Timothy 4:8). But the idea of working hard to extend our life here on earth, looks relatively futile when compared with God's "ultimate life-extension plan."

Let us look at what the apostle Paul told the people at Thessalonica, trying to encourage them about Jesus' return: "We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

What an encouragement! Those of us who make that quick exit will never die. And even if Jesus does not return while we are still physically alive here on earth, if we faithfully obey and serve Him, we will still never spiritually die (Luke 18:28-30; 1 John 2:24-25).

Dear reader, are we interested in extending our life? Let's go ahead and exercise, but let's not for get that the ultimate life-extension plan is salvation through Jesus — our guarantee of living forever (Acts 4:10-12; cf. Matthew 1:21).

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets