Teaching Teens How to Die in Order to Teach Teens How to Live - 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Aware that he was about to die a martyr’s death in Rome, Paul taught
Timothy how to live by sharing with him how he (Paul) intended to die. Paul
began by referring to himself as a “drink offering.” In the Jewish Temple, a
drink offering was poured out at the base of the altar after the sacrifice and before the singing of a song of praise to God by the priests and Levites. When Paul said “I am being poured out as a drink offering,” he was telling Timothy that the sacrifice of his life for the cause of the Gospel was complete, and that he was about to begin a heavenly song of praise to His Lord in God’s presence. The anticipation of this time of praise was possible for Paul because of the way he had lived. He had fought the “good fight.” He had run hard to lead many to follow Jesus well and had trusted Jesus all the way to the end. Now he anticipated the fulfillment of his salvation, the perfection of righteousness without any more struggle with sin (cf. Rom. 7). He told Timothy that to live a life led by the Lord makes death something for which one longs. Do we lead our teens to be ready and excited to meet Christ at death? Do they see that we have fought, run, and endured for Christ? Do we teach them that being with Christ is far better than life here? What do we communicate about Christ by what we say about death? Are we willing to die daily now so that others will share in crowns of righteousness and songs of praise in heaven? When you die, will your kids be able to describe your life as a drink offering poured out to God?