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Now Choose Life
In Deuteronomy 30:19 God says "This day … I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." Science writer David J. Hill says one way we can choose life is to pursue a healthy lifestyle. And he says we can love our "neighbor," as Jesus commanded, by encouraging them to do the same.
"On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero." — Chuck Palahniuk1
Probability of Death: A Losing Game
In 2002, a Population Today article estimated that a little more than 100 billion humans have been born throughout history.2 Of those born, the current world population is around 6.6 billion, meaning that approximately six percent of people born are currently alive. Put another way, about 94 percent of all humans that have ever existed are dead. That percentage will likely continue to increase over time.3
Death happens. It's an event that some come to dread, spending their lives trying to cheat it through the pursuit of fame, vicarious living or youthfulness (via a host of anti-aging solutions). Thankfully, those with a biblical worldview don't need to (or at least, shouldn't) waste time striving for immortality, since we've already received eternal life as a gift.
But immortality through Christ still doesn't mean we can be cavalier about the process of death or impartial about our health.
Consider one of the most crucial verses in Judeo-Christian tradition, Deuteronomy 30:19–20, when the Lord said:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV)
How can we follow God's command, "Now choose life," even as we face the inescapability of our physical death?
More of a Process than an Event
One of the biggest misconceptions our culture tends to hold onto is that death is a singular event and everything leading up to it is life. However, this is not a conclusion one can draw from Scripture or science.
In the Deuteronomy passage we just read, death must be more than just an event. If it weren’t, God wouldn’t “set” both death and life before us and basically say, “You pick.” If death were merely an event, it would not be much of a choice.
If not a singular event, death, like life, must be a process. Going even further, we could say that life and death are each a series of choices.
Today, more than ever, we are aware of the process of dying, from the signaling in a cell that triggers apoptosis (programmed cell death) to the variety of pathogens that attack the body. Our understanding of these processes is the fruit of the global battle against the causes of death. That battle is one of the most amazing developments of the twentieth century — and it continues today. In a century's time, the life expectancies of U.S. men and women were extended an average of 28.0 and 31.4 years, respectively.4 Many factors contribute to this increase, and collectively, these advances have allowed more people to live to see their grandchildren and even their great grandchildren.
This lengthening of human lifespan has happened primarily through curative medicine, that is, medical practices applied to a person's conditions once they've been identified. As the "healthy" state has come to be understood as a combination of genetics, environment and lifestyle, preventative medicine has recently come to the fore. Preventative medicine rightfully focuses on those factors which are impacted by an individual's choices. Logically then, the earlier we make right choices, the greater chance we have of slowing down death.
In other words, modern preventative medicine is singing God's refrain, "Now choose life."
The Usual Suspects: Lining Up the Causes of Death
Preventative medicine is all about making choices that extend your potential life expectancy and recognizing current choices that are known to decrease it. Now, on an extreme end, preventative medicine might look like locking yourself up and choosing to be the next "bubble boy," avoiding all human contact. But, that isn't really living responsibly, is it?
Rather, let's identify the top 10 causes of death, and then consider ways we can effectively "choose life" instead.
| Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S.5 | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart disease (including arterial disease) | 27.2 |
| 2 | Cancer (top killers: lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreas) | 23.1 |
| 3 | Cerebrovascular disease (commonly called stroke) | 6.3 |
| 4 | Chronic lower respiratory disease (includes emphysema, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis) | 5.1 |
| 5 | Accidents (unintentional injuries) | 4.7 |
| 6 | Diabetes mellitus | 3.1 |
| 7 | Alzheimer's disease | 2.8 |
| 8 | Influenza/pneumonia | 2.5 |
| 9 | Nephritis and other kidney disorders | 1.8 |
| 10 | Septicemia (blood poisoning through infection) | 1.4 |
| All other causes | 22.2 |
From this list, we draw a rather stark and unsettling conclusion: Half of the Americans who will die today will succumb to either heart disease or cancer.
The overwhelming majority of these causes of death, including those top two, occur slowly, not suddenly. That means they involve death more as a process rather than as an event. But that also means that, to varying degrees, our choices can impact that process. If, regarding our health, we are able to choose life — instead of succumbing to one of these "usual suspects" — shouldn't we do as God commanded?
You've most likely heard of many of the causes of death on this list. Though it indicates what condition is the predominant cause of death, such a list does not rule out the presence of two or more of these diseases occurring concurrently or even synergistically. Cancer survivors can eventually succumb to heart disease, and vice-versa. Likewise, someone who dies of a stroke can have underlying cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Hence, the best preventative medicine considers the whole list.
Choosing Life for Numero Uno
Our modern culture places heavy demand on us all to produce and acquire. To cope with these demands, we turn to convenient sources of instant gratification, namely fast food, cigarettes and TV. What if we could put a price tag on these escapes, showing how much they cost, not just in dollars, but in the number of days of life expectancy?
We must concede what many experts have been saying for years: Poor diet, lack of exercise, and tobacco use underlie the majority of these diseases. Now, more than ever, we have the knowledge of how wise choices made today will impact our health for the better tomorrow. It's time to choose life.
This means proper management of resources, namely, money, time and our health. Considering all other factors that may come into play, what will be the greater cost in the long run — cooking healthy meals over time or insulin treatments for diabetes? Buying a treadmill and exercising three times a week or cancer treatment? Kicking the smoking habit or lugging around oxygen tanks for years?
Choosing life every day isn't easy for anyone — it wasn't for the Israelites following God's commands while the pagans who surrounded them lived as they pleased. And it isn't for us today. However, the benefits to our physical bodies are incalculable. In fact, a recent report claims that half of cancer deaths alone could be avoided through lifestyle changes and screening.6
Choosing Life for Others
When we help others make good choices, we help unite our community — be it our families, churches or schools. Whether those decisions affect the mind, body or soul, supporting one another is part of the command. We all could use help in taking better care of our bodies, so logically, part of our mission to choose life should be to encourage others to do the same.
Embracing preventative medicine and encouraging others to do the same is not only a way to choose life, but it's also a way to "love your neighbor as yourself," as Jesus advocated.
But let's not forget the sick and dying (and their loved ones). Part of choosing life for them, along with praying for them, means supporting curative medicine. As Christians, should we consider aiding the sick in obtaining medicine as a means of enabling them to choose life, such as making a donation to cancer research? Doing so might encourage their faith, provide them hope and demonstrate love — just as 1 Corinthians 13 instructs.
Deeper into Life
C O F F E E S H O PThe bottom line is, the more life (spiritual and physical), the better — for young and old, healthy and sick. If curative medicine has added many years to the average life expectancy, how much more will preventative medicine contribute to long life?
Choose life daily and, in time, you'll discover the answer to that question for yourself.
- Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1996), p. 17. Back^
- Peopleandplanet.net, "How many people have ever lived on Earth?" January 26, 2008. Last accessed 25 February 2008. Back^
- Barring, of course, any significant breakthroughs in medical technology, such as cryopreservation or brain downloads. Or a biblical-sized spiritual event, such as a mass, Enoch-like ascension into Heaven, the Rapture or the return of Christ. Back^
- National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2007, p. 186. Back^
- According to the 2004 National Vital Statistics Report. Back^
- ACS News Center, "ACS report: Half of cancer deaths could be prevented." March 31, 2005. Last accessed 25 February 2008. Back^
*Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.
David J. Hill is a freelance writer in science education and a copyeditor in medical education. His interests include cultural and Christian perspectives on science and technology. In his spare time, he can be found obsessing about why the Book of Job is not talked about more on Sunday mornings and whether or not he should start a book on the lives of 18th-century scientists entitled, Alchemy Rules!: When Turning Stuff into Gold Was the Topic at the Water Cooler. He attended graduate school in chemistry at the University of Illinois and did his undergraduate work at Point Loma Nazarene University. He and his wife, Angel, have three children.
© 2008 David J. Hill. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
Artist's thoughts"I wanted to capture that elementary aspect of the question that David mentioned in the "Choosing Life for Numero Uno" section (what will be the greatest cost). The choices are simple, yet we often can't see the easy answers before us. So I created a little quiz depiction of the topics: healthy habits, healthy foods, and healthy exercise. All areas I know I could use some improvement in — thus improving my quality and quantity of life!" — Luke Flowers
Image created by Luke Flowers. © 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved.
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