DEATH STINGS

Survey was conducted to know the top 5 most people feared about in their entire life. In listverse.com, results revealed that death ranks number 2. Failure ranks the first.

According to Wikipedia, fear is an emotion induced by a threat perceived by living entities, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior, such as running away, hiding or freezing from traumatic events. Fear may occur in response to a specific stimulus happening in the present, or to a future situation, which is perceived as risk to health or life, status, power, security, or in the case of human’s wealth or anything held valuable.

Fear is also a built-in mechanism in human for our survival. It acts like a warning signal for us to seek security or protection. However, as it says, excessive or uncontrolled level of fear leads to destruction, a phobia.

       Thanatophobia, or more commonly known as the fear of death, affects millions of people worldwide. Thanatophobia is the fear of death, dead things, or anything associated with death. It did not rank No. 1 in the most feared of because of the fact that human and all living creatures are expected to end in death. People most often than not, do not want to talk about death in spite the reality that it will surely come to everyone. For others, it is even considered a taboo to discuss about one’s death.

But why would we be afraid of dying? Maybe because of the following reasons:

a.    Fear of the unknown. We do not know what would there be in life thereafter.

b.     Fear of living our loved ones. Who will take care of my kids? Will my spouse marry again? How will they go for living? I will be missing them. And several other “worries”.

c.    Unmet expectations/ unfinished business. Am not yet ready. I still have a lot of things to do. I still have financial obligations (debts) to pay. Etc.

d.    Too much attachment with the cares of the world. (Party-life, work, friends, possessions, position, wealth and the likes.)

I, too, had a share of same fear… the fear of death… the fear of losing someone I dearly love… the fear of the unknown…

It was a gloomy Sunday afternoon of October 14, 1990, I am practicing my declamation piece for a provincial competition the following day. I was taken aback by a loud shout and crowd commotion on the street beside our old house. My father was hit by a military truck while on his way home, just a few steps from our front yard. He was rushed to the hospital but after several hours of fighting for his life, his physical body gave up due to numerous injuries as an impact by the huge truck upon his fragile human body. Cause of death? His neck is broken; a broken rib ripped a part of his left lungs, head injury and others, as stated in his autopsy report.  

I was just in second year high school then. The news of my father’s death caused all the senses of my body paralyzed. My world crumbled. I was lost. “What will happen to us now?”, “Who will work for the family?”,  “Will I still go to school?”. I am the eldest out of five children. The responsibility is on my hands, but how?

June 6, 1991, four months before the first death anniversary of my father, my grandfather died due to heart attack. What a tragedy! We were still at the stage of mourning for the loss of my father, then, all of a sudden, two of the pillars of the family were taken from us…

The next thing I knew, we were able to survive the trial. I finished my college degree. My four siblings had their own educational path chosen. Two of them are now abroad working, my other brother is now a police officer and the other one is presently working with his papers to work abroad too. All the worries, all the fears I felt during the death of my father and grandfather were swept away. God found me amidst said storm.

My former boyfriend in college died due to motorcycle accident. A student of mine perished due to measles complication at the age of 11. The father of one of my students expired due to gunshot. My father in-law suffered from lung cancer that resulted in death. Co-workers were ambushed in the field while engaging internal security operations… and many more deaths of people known to me, but my outlook on matter of death changed. How?

It was summer of 2009; we were in the province for a vacation. The father of my mother whom we call “tatang” is half-paralyzed; he can no longer move his legs. I often massage his feet whenever we have the chance to see him. A simple gesture of my love, affection and gratitude for all the sacrifices he did in helping our mom in raising us after the death of my father. That certain day, while massaging his legs, I bravely asked him if he has an idea where will he go if he will die that moment. He looked at me with confidence and answered, “In heaven”. I asked why he said so. His response is very clear, “Because I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior. I asked forgiveness of my sins, I confessed them all and made him the ruler of my life. He promised that we will be with Him, in a place where no more crying, no more tears, no more pains.” Little did I know, my tears are freely flowing down my cheeks.

DEATH LOST ITS STING ON ME. I am no longer afraid of it. And if ever I will die today, I wish to have a peaceful death. Just like what happened to the great King David, the man after God’s own heart. “When David served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fall asleep…” -- Acts 13:36

What a sweet death! And that is just because he fulfilled God’s purpose of him in this earth. You want to have a peaceful death and be not afraid of it anymore? Try this: 

1.    Be reconciled with God

We were separated with God because of sin (inherited from Adam and Eve, read the book of Genesis). Now to be reconciled with God means we must be born again.

Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:7) and added, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.(Romans 10:9-10)

If you have not yet done so, surrender your life to Christ by saying the following as a prayer: "Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sins and accept me as your child. I invite you to be my Savior and the Lord of my life. I surrender myself to you in the name of Jesus Christ."

2.    Don't fear that you will be a burden to others

         One reason people sometimes have a fear of death is that they worry about being a burden to others. That's a normal fear. But the Bible says we are all connected to one another (Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). God expects us to care for one another. Although it sometimes can be a burden, caring for others can also be a blessing, for it is as we give of ourselves that we become more like Christ.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

3.    Don't fear for those you will leave behind

If you die before your spouse, children, parents or other significant people in your life, they likely will miss you greatly. If you die when your spouse or children still are living with you, they will miss your love, support and care. Yet God loves them much more than you do. Be sure to write a will and provide as best you can for the future, and then put yourself and your family in God's hands. Don't be afraid of death or dying for their sake. If you die first, God will still be with them! Remember, he loves them much more than you do!

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. (Psalm 10:14)

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (Psalm 68:5)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:6-8)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

4.    Overcome the fear of death or dying by looking forward to heaven

             It's normal to have a fear of death or fear of dying. One way to overcome being afraid of death or dying is to think about spending eternity with Jesus.

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23)

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling. (2 Corinthians 5:1-2)

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Corinthians 5:4)

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

5.    Overcome the fear of death or dying by remembering you have a purpose

      God wants you to make a difference while you are here on earth. He wants you to touch the world for Christ. Meditate on the verses on this page, overcome your fear of death, then make a difference for Christ!

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. (Philippians 1:21-25)

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:8)

6.    Overcome the fear of death or dying by remembering God's love for you

One reason people fear death or dying is that they don't think God loves them. God loves you so much that He died and bore the burdens of our sins at the cross of Calvary.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (YOU & ME), that He gave his only begotten Son (JESUS), that whosoever believes in Him shall NOT perish but have an everlasting life.”

Jesus came to set us free. We do not need to be afraid of death or afraid of dying. There is no more need to fear the end of your life.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)

·         It will be unimaginably wonderful in heaven (death is not the end of life)

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

•  There will be no sorrow or tears in heaven

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 25:8)

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:17)

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

• God sometimes takes the righteous away to be spared from evil

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. (Isaiah 57:1-2)

• There's no need to be afraid of death, for we will be with Jesus

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Romans 6:5)

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

----- (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

----- (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

DEATH NO MORE STINGS for those who believes in Jesus. As long as we know where we spend eternity after our life here on earth, nothing we should be afraid of. Just avail of the insurance Jesus is offering now, His free gift of salvation. So easy, just like an ABC.

A-ccept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

B-elieve in the Lord Jesus that He is God, and you will be save, you and your       

               household.  

C-onfess that you are a sinner and ask forgiveness for all the sins you have      

   committed

Source:

http://www.dougbrittonbooks.com/onlinebiblestudies-anxietyfearandworry/fearofdeathanddyingbiblestudyverses.php

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