“Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:32).
In our verse today, the Apostle Paul quotes a saying that has been common in this world for hundreds of years. When people see the condition of this world becoming worse, or perhaps are involved in a war, or some other big disaster, it is tempting to them to live for the present, enjoy what they can in this life, and not worry about the future. After all, they say, Are we not all going to die someday? And when things are going badly, perhaps we will die sooner than we would normally expect.
In one sense it is not good to worry about our future in this world, for if we know the Lord, He is going to look after us. But it is a serious thing when men and women are careless about where they are going when they leave this world. Satan tempts them to “live for the present,” and not to be concerned about what happens after death. All around us we can see those who are spending their time, money, and energy on things in this world, while not giving any thought about what will happen when they have to leave this world. Those who live like this sometimes persuade themselves that there is nothing beyond death, and that death is the end of everything for them. But the Bible clearly tells us that judgment comes after death, and it is a very serious thing to forget this.
Even as Christians, what we do in this life will have consequences, for if we live for the Lord, He will give us a reward. But if we live for this world, we will experience loss in eternity, even though we are saved and go to be with Christ when we leave this world.
How much better it is to use our time, energy, and money for the Lord, and to eat and drink only what is necessary for our bodies. Yes, God does give us many good things in this world, and we are thankful for them. But let us not be so taken up with these things that we forget about eternal matters!