Scared of Dying

Going into today (Friday) I had some fears - I can admit that.  But I realized something this morning.  My fear of dying is not related to where I am going - I am confident that my faith in Jesus has given me place in Heaven.  No, my fear of dying is a control issue!

I sometimes worry (more than I should) about how Scott and the kids would cope without me.  Who would keep them organized, help them get everything done and make their lives easier wherever I can. 

I'm not sure if that my service is all I see as my value to my family.  I'd like to believe that my love and personality are something they consider more valuable than that, but I'm not sure I do.  Maybe that is why I feel so uncomfortable when the house is a mess or the budget doesn't balance.

In contrast, I am growing in loving others regardless of what they do for me, but just for who they are.  That might sound odd, but how often is it "what have you done for me lately?"   Hopefully my love for others will be my legacy and not how clean my house is!

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Scared of Dying

by Rick Warren

"Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying."

(Hebrews 2:15 NLT)

We all know that confidence is one of the most important attributes we can display. Employers look for it. Romantic partners look for it. Co-workers look for it.

If confidence is so important for our success in life, why do we do often not have it? In the last few devotionals, I've shared with you some of the roadblocks to confidence that were evident in the lives of the disciples right after the Crucifixion. They were a mess. The first two roadblocks to confidence we can see in their lives were fatigue and failure. The third roadblock — and the most critical — is fear.

The Bible says in John 20:19, "The disciples met together locked behind closed doors in fear of the Jewish leaders" (TLB). The first disciples had seen what happened to Jesus, and they were afraid they were next.

They were playing the "what-if"game. Do you ever do that? "What if I fail? What if I never get married? What if I get cancer?" 

What do we worry about the most? Death! People don't want to talk about death.  It's the last taboo. Invite some people home after church, and then, over coffee, say, "Let's talk about death." Watch what happens. 

When some children were asked to write sentences about what they believed about death, here's what they said: 

·         Gilda, age 8: "When you die, they put you in a box and bury you in the ground because you don't look too good." 

·         Stephanie, age 9: "Doctors help you so you won't die until you pay their bill."

·         Marsha, age 9: "When you die, you don't have to do homework in Heaven unless your teacher is there also."

·         Raymond, age 10: "A good doctor can help you so you won't die. A bad doctor sends you to Heaven."

But the most important message of the Bible is that death isn't the end of you. You don't have to fear it, because Jesus conquered it. Because Jesus died on the cross for you and was raised from the dead to conquer death, you can know for sure that you'll spend eternity in Heaven. Hebrews 2:15 tells us, "Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying" (NLT).

I'm not afraid of dying, because I know where I'm going.

Talk About It

·         Are you afraid of death? If so, what is that fear based on?

·         How would your life be different if you embraced death as a homecoming and celebration instead of a dark and uncertain unknown?