How Long Should We Expect to Live?

This question hit me with the recent passing of a school friend, who was 74. During school, he and I were part of a foursome with two other close friends. They’ve also died—one at 70, the other at 66—leaving me to consider: Should I expect to pass fairly soon if these other three had?

As with every question, the Bible offers guidance. Genesis records exceptionally long lifespans during prehistoric times. For modern times, the guidance of Psalm 90:10 seems more relevant. It reads, “The length of our days is seventy or eighty years, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.”

Note the two cautionary lessons in this passage. First, we may not want an unusually long life, which brings ‘trouble and sorrow.’ For example, trouble from aging bodies or sorrow from passing friends. The second lesson is: Our lifespans ‘pass quickly and we fly away.’ Statistics show that a majority of people in our country believe we will fly away to an afterlife. While these people disagree on what the afterlife involves and how it’s attained, they believe it’s eternal. If this belief is correct, the next question is: How long should we want to live on earth and delay the eternal afterlife awaiting us? This question is especially relevant for those believing the afterlife will be much better, and I will try to address it soon.