The rate of mortality of the human race is 100%. "For the wages of sin is death...", it says in Romans 6 and "...it is appointed for man to die once..." (Hebrews 9:27). Only two men have never tasted death, and they were both profits to the Nation of Israel and men who walked closely with God. Although we are reborn in to eternal life in Christ, this body ~ unless Christ returns first ~ will pass away first. If we are in the Lord's service our lives are to be expended in our service to Him. Job says, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him" (Job 13:15). A perfect example of how we should look at our service to the Lord can be found in an interaction between Jesus and Peter:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers [2] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”(John 21:15-23, ESV)
But the word "begrudge" means: 'To envy the possession, or enjoyment of another.'" We are not only to not concern ourselves about when our time will come, we are not to envy those who have "gone to sleep" to await the Lord's return. Jesus said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23, ESV) To me, the concept of dying to myself and living for Christ is eloquently illustrated by a modern day warrior, Eric Haney:
"Though he slay me, I will hope in him"All day long, I crossed that mountain from one side to the other.... I would arrive exhausted and breathless at one RV (check point) only to be sent to the next back on the other side I had just come from. The mountain was too big to contour around, and the lay of the was such that I could never anything approximating a direct approach or maintain the hard-earned high ground for any length of time. Never getting anywhere, back and forth across the same mountain. It was a masterful torture. But then I had a revelation. What difference could it possibly make if I crossed back and forth over this mountain until doomsday? A mountain is a mountain, time was time, and route selection was route selection. The only that that mattered was speed and ground made good.... The frustration and mental torture I had been suffering were completely of my own making - and completely within my power to disregard. (From Mr. Haney's book Inside Delta Force)
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