I Don't Want To Die!

Usually you hear this phrase yelled out in a moment of desperation; a character in a movie decides that although death was once their first choice, living is now a must. "I don't want to die, I want to live!"
Which got me to thinking...
What if I began living my life with this same type of desperate declaration?
We place more emphasis on dying than we realize. As a matter of fact, death is a part of our daily routine: life insurance, living wills, power of attorney, retirement funds, etc. We're all preparing to die and we're doing our best to prepare well. We work late, stay up late, save, scrape, and budget in dying as best we can.
But what if we made a decision to LIVE?
What if we started embracing the "abundant life" that Jesus spoke of, purchased with His own blood and promised to freely give to us? What would happen if we have a revolution of life?
What would our lives look like if we started planning to live more than to die? What would we do if we woke up one day, like Hezekiah with time added to the clock? How would we live if we took death off the table of options? What would change?
I know it's a lot to think about. Most of us have never thought about it. I didn't think of it much until recently. But the only difference I see in people who live what I would consider fulfilled and purposeful lives and those who don't is that the former placed more emphasis on living than dying.
Now, does that mean we shirk our responsibilities and stop taking care of those things given over to our care? Absolutely not. But what would happen if we took the emphasis off death and put it back on life? Time and time again in the Gospels, Jesus spoke of "life" and "light". Believe it or not, so many believers have lost their will to live. They don't have the Light of Jesus shining in the hearts and illuminating the darkness of their circumstances. They love Him wholeheartedly but have somehow been unable to fully embrace this life and light of which He spoke. How can we change this?
It starts with a choice.
I choose life!
When I pray, I speak life and health to my body. I command sickness and disease to depart. I expect to recover from any cold or ailment that comes my way. Why? The Word says with His stripes, we are healed! I'm placing the emphasize on life and not death in my life. I shall live and not die to declare the works of the Lord. The dead physically and spiritually can't praise God and declare His works to the nations. So that's why I want to embrace life. I want His glory to be revealed in me. I don't want to wake up everyday planning on how to die a better death. I want to live a better life!
That means this extra 50 lbs I've been lugging around has to go.
That means I'm going to eat like someone who has a purpose and a destiny.
That means my thoughts and meditations will be on things that are pure and lovely.
That means my relationships will reflect my commitment to embracing the abundant life supplied to me through Jesus Christ.
Change is good and I fully embrace it.
I don't want to die.
I want to live abundantly in Christ Jesus!