Do Not Fear Death

Nearly 2,000 years ago Paul famously penned the words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” in his letter to a church in Philippi located in what is now northern Greece.  The point he was making was that he saw great advantage in death, because in dying he would actually experience gain by leaving this world to be with Jesus. Yet, at the same time he also recognized that living also had great benefit in that it allowed him to continue to work with the church in Europe so that it would grow in joy and faith.  In short Paul did not mind if he lived or died because of his faith in Jesus.

Paul as painted by Rembrandt
(He probably did not actually look like this.)

These were words he had lived out in the presence of the very church he was writing to.  While in Philippi Paul was unfairly arrested and beaten without trial in a way that was in direct conflict with even the brutal laws of the Roman Empire.  He literally faced the possibility of death in Philippi as he did many other times throughout his life and ministry in advancement of the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  It was a ministry that would indeed eventually cost him his life.

Paul really believed.  He really believed that Jesus died for his sins and that through faith in Him, he not only had forgiveness of sins but access to God.  Anyone who believes this need not fear death because death brings the believer into the presence of Christ.  Anyone who really believes also sees great advantage in life as well, as it gives the believer yet another day to live for Jesus.

If you have ever been around someone in such despair that they want to die you likely noticed that their sense of sorrow is so palpable that it is oppressive to people who merely come into their presence.  They are in such a state of depression that they bring down everyone around them.

If you have ever been around someone afraid of death, you probably noticed something similar, though rather than overpowering sadness you sense their persistent anxiety.  Neither position is healthy, and they both seem in conflict with each other.  One wants to die, and the other fears death to the point where they cannot live.

Yet a christian who truly believes can simultaneously not want to die and want to die without conflict between the two positions.  Not only that, they can live in great joy while maintaining both stances.  I can tell you through first-hand experience that this seaming paradox is a great place to live.  To live life without fear of death is liberating.

The fear of death is very potent these days.  It is a fear that I would very much understand if I did not believe in salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.

Yet I do not fear it because I believe that Jesus has already gone through death for me.  He took my sins and yours upon Himself and paid the price for all the evil we have done.  He then conquered death through his resurrection, and it is a resurrection that we will all eventually partake in if we believe.  Just as he told a first century peasant woman named Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies.”

As you look around at the world today, perhaps you are afraid that death waits for you just outside your door.  Perhaps the thought of dying terrifies you so much that you are afraid to live.  I urge you to put your trust in Jesus.  Because of Him, you need not fear death, and you can live a life of joy.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” -Jesus (John 3:16)

 

A Philosophy of Courage

The Lion's courage medal from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
Photo attributed to The MagicImage Collection of Hollywood Memorabilia. 

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Joshua 1:9

Moses had recently died, and Joshua was taking over as the leader of Israel.  The Lord talked to Joshua and gave him instructions about to what to do next.  During that discourse God says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

The command to not be afraid is one of the most often repeated commands throughout the Bible.  It is a command that we all fail to follow, and the result of such failure is never good.

Before we continue, it is important to understand that there is a difference between fear and prudent action, just as there is a difference between courage and stupidity.

Perhaps the deadliest country I ever visited was Zaire.  It was a country full of poisonous insects, predatory animals, deadly diseases, and no quick way out should things go poorly.  At one point I found myself standing in the jungle just a few feet away from a very large Gabon viper (one of the deadliest snakes in the world).

I did not fear the viper.  However, at the same time, I did not kick it, step on it, or attempt to pick it up.  Rather I listened to my uncle’s instructions and stayed back until it slithered off into the grass.  Then we walked away in the opposite direction.  It is possible to not be afraid and still do the prudent thing.  In fact, when acting without fear, it seems to be significantly more likely that people will make wise choices.

Now that we have made that distinction, let us examine why we should not be afraid.

Fear does not help:

Fear often causes us to make dumb decisions.  To be fair, there is a biological reality here.  We have adrenal glands that kick in in stressful situations.  This chemical is designed to give us a boost when we need it most to either fight or run away.  It is a useful tool, but often we use it poorly and panic.  It is not uncommon, in immediate circumstances, to have fear hijack our adrenal boost and cause us to make dumb decisions.

Yet there is such a thing as long-term fear as well.  Some fears linger for hours, days, or even years.  It is in cases like this that fear is absolutely useless.  Someone might be afraid of having enough money to pay his bills the next month, yet that fear is pointless.  He must take action to deal with reality.  If he is paralyzed by his fear and takes no action, then his fear actually brings about the reality that he so desires to avoid.  No action means no money which means no paid bills.

Fear is unhealthy:

If someone never leaves his home because he is afraid he might be hit by a car, mauled by a dog, or catch a disease we would all recognize that he has a severe phobia and probably requires some sort of treatment.  Such a person may avoid the dangers of dogs, cars, and diseases, but he does so at the cost of his life.  He wants so badly to live, yet his fear keeps him from really living.

Fear is a tool to control:

Fearmongers peddle predictions of bad futures while at the same time offering solutions that only they can provide.  Those solutions always cost you something.  Sometimes fearmongers operate on a small scale, like the dishonest mechanic who tells us we need to get an unnecessary $500 repair done now or risk a possible $5,000 repair down the road (all the while hoping that we do not have enough mechanical savvy to know that he is a liar).

Other times fearmongering comes from leaders looking to consolidate power.  They predict a bad future unless we do what we are told.  “Our enemies will run over us unless you give me power!”  “The weather will turn bad unless you live the way I tell you to!”  “You will get sick unless you do what I say!”  We must be very careful when such dire predictions of a possible future require us to surrender liberty.  Yet decisions made in fear are seldom done with care.

Sometimes fear is used to spread hate as a means of control.  A classic example of this is the fear that people in some other group are systemically trying to hurt you.  You are told you should fear them, never talk to them, avoid them, hate them, and call anyone in your group who does interact with them by some nasty name.  This example is often used by people who cannot refute a thought someone presents.  Rather than considering the point, they attack the race, country, economic status, religion, or appearance of the person making it.  Fear leading to hate is a powerful and insidious means of control.

Fear makes us miserable:

The final reason we should be not be afraid is that it just makes us miserable.  It does nothing to make our lives better, and it saps all the joy from us.  This alone should be a reason to not be afraid.

What are we to do about it?

For one thing, stop fearing.  Recognize that there are some things in life you can control and others that you cannot.  There is no reason to fear things you cannot control because no amount of fear will give you control over them.

Here is a practical example that might help.  I have no control over the weather.  If I hear that a hurricane was coming to the place where I live there would be no sense in fearing the hurricane as I am powerless to stop it.  At the same time, I do have control over whether or not I board up my widows, secure my belongings, and leave town until it blows over.  Courage can lead to helpful decision making and swift action to deal with threats.  Fear adds nothing and just slows us down.

Yet we will often still succumb to fear in times like this.  This leads me to my second point: Trust God.

God does not promise that everything will go the way we want it to, but we do know that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Joshua 1:9, quoted above, tells us “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,” but then it ends with a comforting promise, “for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

This is the philosophy of courage.  Do not fear.  You gain nothing by doing so.  Turn to God.  Be strong and courageous.

In my 41 years on Earth I have visited 31 countries and met people from every inhabited continent.  I know of many people who regret times they lived in fear (me included).  I have yet to meet one person who regrets living courageously.

"Even though I walk

    through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me."

-King David of Israel