We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Another prediction for the end of the world has passed, unfulfilled. For some, it wasn’t even a question. For others, it just proved that the real end will come in 2012.

The end of the world seems to be an increasingly popular topic these days. A nationally-known religious leader made headlines when he offered two different dates this year in forecasting the world’s demise. The Mayans have been accused of predicting the end of the world by virtue of a calendar that does not continue beyond next year.

Secularists mock these predictions as laughable. But they have their own versions of coming worldwide destruction—global warming, mass extinctions of various species, and global nuclear war, just to name a few.

The Bible contains many prophecies describing the end of the world. But one detail—the one that stirs up the most speculation—is conspicuous in its absence. That omission concerns the actual date of the event. Jesus confirmed the intentionality of this omission when He said no one but the Father knows when it will occur (Matthew 24:36).

Still, even if we did know the exact date, we have no assurance we would actually live to see it. Accidents happen, health issues develop, crimes occur. No one has a guaranteed life span.

But what if we knew this would be our last week on earth—whether because of accidental or natural death or because the end of the world will arrive? Would that make a difference in the way we live?

For some, getting ready for that final day requires becoming restored to our heavenly Father through faith in Christ. For those who know Christ, living with an eternal focus will prepare us for the time when this temporary life on earth ends.

Predictions about the end of the world will continue to multiply until the last day finally arrives. But the bottom line is that any day could be the end of the world as we know it – either because Christ will return or because death will come in the form of illness or accident. The bigger question is, Will we be ready?

How would you spend this next week if you knew it would be your last?