Overcoming the Ultimate Fear – Death

What is the #1 fear of most people? Speaking in public? Snakes? Nope – it’s death. I once hesitated to discuss death with friends who are fighting cancer. It’s not positive, it’s “THE worst-case scenario.” Or is it? Why would Paul say, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain“ and being with Christ is “far better”? (Philippians 1:21 & 23).

Still, I’m praying we all live long, fruitful lives, yet we must downsize the mammoth in the room and face our greatest fear. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us the devil instills the fear of death to enslave us. “He partook of flesh and blood, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

Now nothing triggers the fear of death like a bad cancer prognosis. It did for me during my Stage IV cancer battle. Here are 3 insights to overcome the ultimate fear of death.

1) Set the Lord above everything.

In Revelation 12:11, the Lord gives a powerful tool to overcome the devil, the source of the fear of death. “They loved not their lives even to the point of death.”  Loving Jesus more than our very lives will bring all kinds of freedoms. We will say with David in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear NO evil.” Jesus conquered death forever by His Resurrection. Death has lost it’s sting, it’s now a mere stepping stone to glory!

 2) Settle that heaven is way better than this life.

Paul suffered stonings and beatings just for talking about Jesus. Here is how he handled that injustice: “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at what we see, but at the unseen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Once we get to heaven, pain, tears, and griefs will be nothing compared to the glory we’ll experience! Imagine what that will be like! Here’s how we can be sure of going to heaven.

3) Trust He will give you dying grace.

After docs gave me “days to live” in 2003, I began to wonder how bad the pain would get to die. I went into a tailspin. God said deep in my spirit, “Have I given you grace every step of this journey?” I said, “Yes, you have.” He said, “What makes you think I would abandon you then? I will give you dying grace.” I said, “Of course You will; sorry.” Hebrews 4:16 promises, “Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” He has grace for every need – even while we transition to heaven!

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