The Case for Death

One of the undeniable truths about our human lives is that, eventually, they end. Each of us was born of a woman, our bodies knitted together in her womb. Someday, each of our bodies will lose its vibrancy; blood will no longer flow through our veins, and life will no longer pour out from within our physical selves. Death is simply an inevitability that we must accept.

Even as we accept and understand that our future includes death, it is true that we often fear it, holding on to our lives and our remaining years with all our might. Humans fear their death like nothing else, and that fear stems from the fact that we simply do not fully comprehend the part that death plays in lives. We miss God’s plan for us; His plan for the end and the beginning of each human life. For all things, good or bad in the sight of men, work together for the goodness of God.

Just as a student’s graduation marks the end of a time of schooling, the death of a human marks the end of their time on this Earth. It is a transition; the end of one era, and the beginning of another. A student attends school to learn and ready him or herself for a future career. Those students who do not walk the path of learning will find themselves ill-equipped for the future. Humans who do not walk the path of Christ will find themselves at the end of their life without a savior.

The scriptures tell us not to fear. Once Jesus has become our lord, there is nothing to separate us from Him and the salvation that we now have. Nothing in this world, no powers in the spiritual realms, and not the eventual death that leads from this life into the next.

We must change the way we view death, for it is not the end, but merely a time of change. It is not something to be feared, but something to be understood. As strange a thought as this might be, death is something to look forward to. Not in any depressive or suicidal manner, but in such a way that we long to be with Christ in the world to come. For this world is not our home; we are as aliens in a foreign land, and Heaven is our true home. Our father waits there for us, and we should wait patiently and yet with excitement for the day when we walk those streets of gold. We will no longer be strapped with the problems of this world, but will have all of eternity to be with Christ.

Our time on this Earth is precious, and even while we are young and the years seem to stretch out before us, death is coming for each human, some long before they expect it. We know not what day will be our last, but that is not for us to choose. God has planned each day of our lives, and He knows what day He will call you away from your body and into His presence. Do not fear that hour, for a greater glory awaits us than we could ever experience in these bodies. Live each day as though death was around the corner, for it truly is, even if we do not see it.

God holds your life in His hands, and His timing is perfect. Trust in Him and do not fear the future, and do not fear death, for on the other side of our last day is the first day of a beautiful beginning.