Are you afraid to die?
By Gener Marcelo
When I was a child, I was afraid to look on a dead person’s body neither a coffin nor the idea of going in a wake of a departed relative. Much more, I was afraid to die. I remember asking my mother if I could still breathe when put inside a coffin or buried under the grave. She told me the answer and of course you know what answer was given to me. Since then, I said to myself, “I don’t want to die and I don’t want to be put inside the coffin, it’s hard to breathe thereâ€, I quipped.
When I reached the age of adolescence up to the time I decided to have a family of my own, this conception about dying hasn’t change. In fact, my anxieties expanded exponentially because the worries of who will provide or take care of my family’s needs when I die compounded my fear of dying. This conception or I would say misconception about dying change when I started to read the Bible.
There are two kinds of death-the cessation of life here on earth, and the missed opportunity to live in heaven with God forever. To die physically is to leave our earthly body and our place in the earthly community. To die spiritually, eternally, is to miss eternal residence in heaven with God and his people, to be separated from God forever. When we die physically, we can be even more alive as we take up our residence in God’s eternal home with him and with his people. It is not pleasant to think of dying physically. But it is devastating to think of missing heaven forever.
DEATH IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS. IT IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER HERE ON EARTH. RICH, POOR, WISE, FOOLISH, GREAT, SIMPLE-ALL WILL DIE. BUT THERE IS A WAY TO HAVE SOMETHING WAITING FOR YOU WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN.
You can’t take anything with you when you die, but there is a way to receive much when you arrive in heaven, for God rewards those who have been faithful to him and leave behind a legacy of goodness.
A person who accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior who dies will meet God and live with him forever. A person who doesn’t believe in Him will be condemned to eternal punishment. Religion or simply abiding on the teachings alone cannot save you but a complete acceptance of Christ Jesus as your personal Savior. “Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Nobody can come to the Father except though Him.†And there are lots of gospels in the Bible that would show the true salvation, its only through Christ Jesus.
Fear of the unknown is natural, and fear of death can be healthy if it draws us to know more about God. It is helpful to think of death as a beginning, not an end. It is our entrance into eternal life with God.
(Philippians 1:21). . . To me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better.
A fear of death may be an indication of a weak relationship with God. You must be ready to die (be at peace with yourself) in order to appreciate life fully.
Now, I’m still afraid to die, at least for now until I’m sure that my family and loved ones have a sure place in heaven. As what our ME shepherd couple says, “Let’s bring our family to heavenâ€.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=15530.0
