When a Faithful Servant of God Dies Young

Yesterday I attended the funeral for a precious wife of one of our missionaries which has planted a church in Connecticut.  She was just 31 year of age and the mother of a less than four year old son.  She and her husband came to our church about three years ago and we began supporting them then but it was also at that meeting that they disclosed that she had been diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, a horrible disease that has no cure and is always fatal in time.  At that time she was walking with a walker and ultimately became wheelchair and then bed ridden.  She could have sat down and waited for the inevitable but she chose to complete the course God had given to her and her husband as they finished deputation and then started the church together in Fairfield, CT.  She died this past Friday and graduated to Glory.

But why?  Why would God “take” one of His faithful servants away at such a young age.

First and foremost any answer given by mankind must be started by saying that God’s wisdom is  beyond ours and we must accept by faith that His way is always perfect and right.  Isaiah 55:8 makes it abundantly clear that God’s ways are not our ways and James 1:17 tells us that everything from above is good.  Thus faith must accept that “young” servants of God going to Heaven “early” is still good.

But in human terms we often look for explanations for things that go beyond the simple answer of God doing all things well, and God, though not required to do such, often allows us to have a more human answer to these kind of questions and that is the heart of this post.

First, time is arbitrary to God, thus there are no “young” or “old” in his estimation (Psalm 90:4).  We say they died “young” but in God’s sight a thousand years is as a day, thus He made us this morning and we died later the same day regardless of our earthly timeline.   With God's view of time as the standard, even those who lived hundreds of years in the Old Testament still only made it less than “a day” by God’s formula of time.  Thus there are no young or old to God.

Second, it is a matter of finishing the course that was set for us and not the length of our days here in that course.  This is why Paul wrote he had “finished his course” not that he had gotten old (2 Timothy 4:7).  We as humans judge everything based upon time but God has a perfect will for us and when we finish His perfect will there is nothing left to do but go home to be with Him.  Thus a servant of God going home “young” does not mean they have failed but finished the task God gave them to do.

Third, a “young” death is not a punishment for the servant of God but the reward.  The song writer said it best, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.  My treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.  The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”  In Acts 7, faithful Stephen was taken home “early” not as punishment from God, but, so he could enter the joy of his Lord (Matthew 25:23).  It is amazing to think that one day we will get to go to Heaven because God’s grace and going “young” means we get Heaven sooner and that’s not a bad thing!  Is it?  God could have preserved Stephen’s life here on earth but Jesus stood to receive Him into Heaven (Acts 8:56) and I am sure Stephen heard the words “well done” as he entered there (Matthew 25:21).  Now mind you we are NOT to end life on our terms but God’s, as we are commanded to “occupy till He comes” (Luke 19:13).

God is a good God and will never allow His children to suffer the rages of this world one moment longer than necessary.  He has a perfect course for them to run and when they finish it, they can go home.  And His plan has always been to bring us into His presence and that moment is joyous not grievous.  Let’s try to see young servants going to Glory as a joy not a heartache…at least for them.  Revelation 22:20 says “I come quickly” and for the faithful servant of God who die “young” that is so true…He came quickly for them.