Forty Days Without FearSample

OVERCOMING FEAR OF DEATH Part Two

The thought of death can be overwhelming. Whether it’s the death of someone we love, the loss of a family member, or even the death of a dream - the weight of that heartbreak can be unbearable. We can find ourselves so lost that we remain stuck in the grieving process. We fear that we’ll never make it through - but death is not the end.

Franciscan friar Richard Rohr said, ‘Resurrection looks like death up close.’ When we are trapped in the present, surrounded by destruction, it may seem like there’s no hope to be found, and nothing on the horizon. But we have to trust that the story doesn’t end there. God has not abandoned our situation. 

Christ’s story is the evidence that death is one step towards inevitable resurrection in Him. Up close and in the moment, Jesus’ death on the cross was the most harrowing of images.  He was left to die alone, bruised and bloodied, and it looked like all hope was gone. Up close and in the moment, losing something or someone we love is harrowing too. We may feel bruised and bloodied, and on the edge of giving up, but in time, God’s time, resurrection will come. Healing will come. Restoration will come. Just like it did with Jesus on the Cross.

God is not defeated by death, and neither is the Christ in us. Jesus conquered death 2000 years ago and will conquer it now. Step-by-step, as our hearts heal, we have to trust that nothing is truly lost. As hard as it seems, we are not without hope: We all have to journey the heartache of loss, but we can process the pain of death and trust that in God’s time, resurrection will surely come. 

Action: Let’s think of those we know who are grieving at this time. Let’s ask God to show us how we might comfort or bring healing to them today. Act on what He says!