A few months ago I learned about and downloaded an app on my phone called WeCroak. It is a simple concept based on teaching in Bhutan that says contemplating death five times each day will bring happiness. The app randomly sends you 5 notifications, each day with a reminder that you will die and then offers a quote that helps you think about the shortness of life and the finality of death. Quotes like, “We only die once, and for such a long time” by Molier; or “No one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time on my business” by Paul Tsongas.

It may seem morbid to spend time thinking about our death, but in our text today, the Psalmist seems to agree. In verse 12, he says, “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” There is an understanding that when we are honest about the fact that we all die and when we take time to really look death in the face, we will develop an appreciation for life that will help us live it better.

Have my 5 random death reminders each day made me happier? I don’t know, but I have found myself more discriminatory about the things to which I give my time and energy. I am finding ways to work smarter and play harder. I am choosing to do more things that give me life and less things that drain my life. I am choosing to be with people who give me life and spending less time with those who don’t. Maybe this is because I am often reminded of the immediacy of my own demise or maybe it is simply that I am a couple of years from forty. Whatever the reason, I believe the Psalmist is right. When we learn to count our days and when we understand how small our lives are in comparison to all things, we are empowered to live bigger and fuller lives.