How long do you want to live?

The longest recorded life span of a human isn't even a speck in eternity.

Robert A. Johnson

Do You Want to live to be a hundred? No, said 63% of respondents to a survey conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons. Only 27% said yes. Yet those living to a hundred or more are in the fastest-growing segment of the population. So just what should a life span be? The Encyclopedia Britannica reports that life spans range "from one day for the mayfly to thousands of years for the bristlecone pine." And "the longest-lived mammal appears to be the human" with a maximum life span believed to be between 115 and 150 years.

Fear of deteriorating health, being dependent on a nursing home, and other changes sometimes associated with age were the main reasons given for not wanting to live too long. Yet, should we expect limitations? Does a roll of the dice determine whether our advancing years will be full of misery or full of achievement?

The Bible tells of people who lived much longer than today's predicted maximum life span. And the lives of Enoch, Elijah, and Christ Jesus actually illustrate the promise of eternal life. Enoch "pleased God," and his faith saved him from seeing death (see Heb. 11:5). Elijah, a prolific healer, ascended into heaven without passing through death (see II Kings 2:11). The ultimate proof comes from Christ Jesus, who not only was resurrected after his crucifixion, but later ascended into heaven.

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