I’m a Christian, and I’m not afraid to die!
As a matter of fact it puzzles me when I observe Christians portray a fear of death. If anything I look forward to it with great joy! Death for me means I’ve completed my task on earth, it means “Hello rest, let’s chill till Jesus wakes me for paradise”…sounds casual but that about sums it up.
In Hebrews, chapter 2 verse 14 we are reminded that Christ, in His quest to be our lead example, became flesh. Think about it, just so that He could be relatable he became human for us! The greatest reason for doing so was to die, to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin(s). In that death, He not only gave us life, but abundant life on earth, and hope for eternal life in Heaven. God’s awesome, inexplicable love for us made His son become human to die for us! *Pause to give thanks*
That death conquered the curse of death! That death signaled hope! That death signaled the end of the need to fear!
Verse 15 in the New Living Translation so aptly states that only in Christ becoming human and dying could He have “set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying”. Thank you Jesus! Thanks, for since You became man and died I can throw myself a “Welcome Death” party when that time comes!
So be it because of illness or some kind of tragic unexpected situation don’t mourn for me, don’t string me up on a machine…let me go to rest! If God’s not done with me then He’ll preserve my life so that I can continue doing His work, otherwise let me go to rest! Yes, He allowed for unbelievable technological advancements and medical discoveries to heal and preserve life but, unless so directed by Him to take advantage of any of those, I am prepared to go.
I had the awesome experience of dealing with my grandfather’s death up close recently. It was awesome in that he had lived for almost 91 full years, and for approximately 70 of those years he served God as diligently as He could. He had served the kingdom in various capacities, and impacted countless persons through ministry. At the end of it all, having that confident hope, he was able to close his eyes peacefully after some time of illness and take his rest. Being there until his very end reinforced in me the peace that comes with living for Jesus, the hope of eternal life that comes with accepting Christ’s gift of salvation, and the joy that your loved ones experience knowing there is no need to fear the curse of death when our time comes.
I close with this urgent plea, that we all make every effort with all our heart, mind, and strength to know, love, and live for Christ. In the words of my late grandfather, “live to live again”. Yes there will be challenges, but through Him we can make it. Know Christ, Love Christ, Live Christ! Then, and only then, will the sacrifice of Him becoming flesh to die for you not be in vain. Then, and only then, can we truly be free from the fear of dying. Then, and only then, can we welcome death with great expectation.
“And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.” – 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NLT)
Tek it easy,
Cami.
Cami Speaks 