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I didn't want to limit responses to my question to only Christians, but their answers to this plea for help would be the only "helpful" answers... so here goes.. to all fellow Christians willing to tackle this one with me...
I was saved approximately 3 years ago. I rejoice in knowing, learning, loving and believing in God through our Saviour Jesus Christ, but I'm having a difficult time adjusting to having my faith in Christianity, but still being afraid of death.
I have heard many Christians say that if you are "truly saved", you will no longer ever fear death. This threatens my sanity (exaggerated here), but you get my point.
I know I was saved that evening and have been trying to stay on the right path through living a good life, praising the Lord and thanking Him for everything I have in this life, being a good example to others, studying, etc. So my question is... why am I still afraid to die? Are there other Christians out there who are true believers and still afraid to die too? Help!
I'm hoping as my faith grows through maturity and time and understanding that this fear will disappear, in kind.
I didn't want to limit responses to my question to only Christians, but their answers to this plea for help would be the only "helpful" answers... so here goes.. to all fellow Christians willing to tackle this one with me...
I was saved approximately 3 years ago. I rejoice in knowing, learning, loving and believing in God through our Saviour Jesus Christ, but I'm having a difficult time adjusting to having my faith in Christianity, but still being afraid of death.
I have heard many Christians say that if you are "truly saved", you will no longer ever fear death. This threatens my sanity (exaggerated here), but you get my point.
I know I was saved that evening and have been trying to stay on the right path through living a good life, praising the Lord and thanking Him for everything I have in this life, being a good example to others, studying, etc. So my question is... why am I still afraid to die? Are there other Christians out there who are true believers and still afraid to die too? Help!
I'm hoping as my faith grows through maturity and time and understanding that this fear will disappear, in kind.
This is a good question, that I think we all must answer, the subject of death...the best reply I can give you..is to seriously spend time in prayer about it...ask God to reveal to you the whys, and the why-nots..I could give you scripture..but God can send his Holy Spirit to comfort you.
I believe the fear is in the unknown. I used to fear death - now I don't. Because I know with death, I will be with my Redeemer. However, what I do fear is not death, but dying.
I'll admit, even as a believer who is supposed to have no fear because God is with me, I will dwell on the subject a little too much and I'll begin to have fear. Fear of the pain associated with dying or who I'll leave behind and how they'll be affected. Fear of a long, protracted death with lots of suffering. Fear of a sudden death and not seeing my children grow up. Fear of work left undone for God's Kingdom. Fear of what I didn't too and won't be able to.
So, it's not necessarily death I fear. Once I'm dead, I'll be with Jesus. It's getting there that scares me. And, IMO, the only one who can alleviate that fear is God.
I think that fear is based on many different things and not only your confidence in your salvation. I know many christians that hold onto a fear of death. I am not looking forward to it myself in certain respects, but I also recognize that my anticipation of the afterlife mitigates the loss of those earthly pleasures.
I do not fear death in the manner most common of not knowing what happens next. While I have no greater personal insight than anyone else living today, I trust that whatever it turns out to be, I will be greatly pleased based on my Lord's promise to me and the attempts of description by those he has chosen to share this vision with. (Yes, we are talking Bible here folks, not personal acquaintance)
I look at the family and friends I may leave behind, and am remorseful at the experiences I will miss, but then I realize that I will not truly miss them but will experience them in a different way than I am presently prepared to. I am sure that it will be different, but likely more fulfilling anyway.
Oddly, I do not recall being afraid of death even as a young boy, and I think that is because all of my family has been more comfortable with death and dying and there was no morbid fear passed on to me by anyone. My family's generations were close and my Grandfather and some of my Uncles helped out with the local Mortuary in their younger days (very small town). They were comfortable with death and it's trappings. My father passed down the stories he heard growing up about their experiences. Nothing gruesome or scary, just enough to take away some of the mystery.
As I have attended more and more funerals, and have approached middle age myself, I have realized that the fear I expected has never arrived. I am grateful for the days I have had and those I will have, however many they are. I look forward to the new life I will have afterwards and wonder what it will be like. That said, I am not in a hurry to finish my earthly existence. I plan to enjoy all the experiences I can in both settings.
My only fears in this area are of not seeing my children grow up, not being there for them, or my wife. But don't feel guilty because you have fear in this area--but don't give in to it either. Repeat this scripture daily, it has helped me tremendously many times in my life...
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7.
Repeat it over and over if you must, until it sinks down inside of you.
Faith comes by hearing...and hearing...and hearing...
I didn't want to limit responses to my question to only Christians, but their answers to this plea for help would be the only "helpful" answers... so here goes.. to all fellow Christians willing to tackle this one with me...
I was saved approximately 3 years ago. I rejoice in knowing, learning, loving and believing in God through our Saviour Jesus Christ, but I'm having a difficult time adjusting to having my faith in Christianity, but still being afraid of death.
I have heard many Christians say that if you are "truly saved", you will no longer ever fear death. This threatens my sanity (exaggerated here), but you get my point.
I know I was saved that evening and have been trying to stay on the right path through living a good life, praising the Lord and thanking Him for everything I have in this life, being a good example to others, studying, etc. So my question is... why am I still afraid to die? Are there other Christians out there who are true believers and still afraid to die too? Help!
I'm hoping as my faith grows through maturity and time and understanding that this fear will disappear, in kind.
First, I think you have to figure what it is you are afraid of. Are you afraid that there will "nothingness" when you die? Are you afraid of leaving family and loved ones? Are you afraid of being alone in death? Are you afraid of suffering? Are you afraid that you won't go to heaven?
Once you determine what your true fear is, you can begin to come to grips with it and try to find peace.
Imagine if you KNEW you were only going to be alive for another 3 months or 6 months. What would you do with the remaining time? 3 months would put you at about November 22nd, 2007, Thanksgiving Day. 6 months would be about February 22, 2008. Now imagine that there are millions of people who are dealing with this realization today, right now.
Would you let yourself be paralyzed by fear for those remaining days?
I'm an Atheist, and blissfully unafraid of death. I will jump out of the path of a speeding car, however.
I have a hard time why christians cry at the funerals of saved loved ones. they went to eternal bliss, right? What's the point of crying about it?
After having just attended a funeral, you cry for the lost friendship, you cry about memories you have, you cry out of worry for the survivors and the hardships they face, and you cry because of how it affects YOU, not the one who died (which is a bit selfish but hard to deny). You cry because even though you're Christian, you're also human. And I don't think it's a bad thing.
Are you actually suggesting that atheists don't cry at funerals.
Never mind, this is desiree's thread and I wouldn't want to be responsible for it wandering off-topic.
I have heard many Christians say that if you are "truly saved", you will no longer ever fear death. This threatens my sanity (exaggerated here), but you get my point.
This is just simply not true. Let me tell you...I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am saved...But I'm also terrified of dying. Now I'm not afraid of what happens AFTER you die...because I know I'm going to be with My Lord Jesus. I'm afraid of the ACTUAL ACT of dying. does that make sense?
I think you might be just like me. I'm afraid of experiencing the act of drowning , or being blown up in an explosion, or a dying a horrible death in a car accident, or burning to death....the list goes on and on. I'm afraid of experiencing the ACT of dying and how it takes place....as i'm sure most people are. Nobody want to drown or have blow up or anything horrible like that. So I don't think you have to worry if your just afraid of the act of dying.
Just have security in knowing that you'll be with the Lord afterward. I pray all the time to the Lord to let me be one of the ones that stays alive till the rapture. I want to go out in the rapture not death
Thank you for your responses so far.. all of you.. (including you satanoid)
I needed to clarify my original fear, and through your responses I realized that!
I am not afraid of "being dead", but actually of the dying process. That entails to me, suffering and or not being "physically" with my children any more. I am sad to think of that, and therefore fear it as well. (Although I AM alleviated in the knowing that I will see them again someday in Heaven if they follow Christ's path to God)!
I suppose it's just the fear of not knowing HOW and WHEN and under WHAT circumstance you will leave this Earth. Also, one of the biggies that ties this all in to Christianity and still fearing death. What if I haven't done a good enough job in this life to walk with Jesus. This I think is one of my greatest fears. I can only try from here on out on a daily basis to do my best, I suppose.
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