21 Days of Transformation: Day 16 – The Fear of Death

I’m not sure at what age I started to fear death.

Maybe it was after my grandfather died… I was about 14 then…

No…

Probably before that.

I remember lying in bed at night, I was on the top bunk, thinking about dying and there just being nothing…

Total darkness…

Never doing anything ever again…

Never seeing my family or friends ever again…

For all eternity.

I’d struggle to shake off the thoughts and would end up in a cold sweat…

Feeling panic-stricken, exhausted and empty inside.

This wasn’t every night, of course.

I often went weeks or months without having the thoughts…

But they always seemed to come back, when I least expected them.

Sometimes the feelings were worse, and sometimes I could shake them off by changing my thoughts to something good that had happened that day, or even a few days ago.

These feelings went on for many years…

Well into my adult life…

But not anymore!

Those thoughts of death died a death of their own the day I turned to Christ.

Now…

I know talk of faith is a turn-off for many people…

As it was for me when I started to explore Christianity by going to church.

Initially out of curiosity…

To see what all the fuss was about.

I felt extremely uncomfortable going into some churches…

Fearing those awkward questions…

Scared of being cornered by someone who wouldn’t leave me be!

All of these fears were unfounded, of course, and I’ll be for ever grateful to the many people who’ve helped me in my faith over the years.

And those thoughts of death?

Death now holds no fears for me.

Why would it?

Jesus died on the cross for me, so death wouldn’t have a grip on me anymore.

And it doesn’t.

Death of this earthly shell of mine will bring me eternal life.

Nothing to fear.

For all eternity.

21 days of Transformation: Day 17 - A Place I Will Always Belong...