Does being a Christian mean you’re immune to fear? It’s sometimes assumed that if you believe in Jesus’ resurrection, you shouldn’t be afraid of anything—including death. Can you honestly say that you don’t fear death…and if you are afraid, does that mean you’re a bad Christian?

Not according to this devotional from Our Daily Journey with God, which addresses the tension between faith and fear:

Having faith does not mean that we’re not afraid. It gives us the courage to stand tall and to hang on in the middle of our fears. And the greater our fears, the stronger our faith can become.

We place our faith in Jesus, whose resurrection has defeated death. If we minimize death and claim that it’s no big deal, then we inadvertently also cheapen Christ’s resurrection that conquered it. But if we honestly admit that death is the enemy that terrifies us, then we can begin to appreciate the unparalleled power of the resurrection.

Faith isn’t about suppressing fear and pretending that everything is okay. But it does allow us to swallow hard—with shaky knees and sweaty palms—and cling to God’s promise that we will live again. Death is frightening, and for that reason it provides the ultimate test of our faith.

Read the full devotional at Our Daily Journey with God.

Is fear of death something that troubles you? What other fears and anxieties do you face, and how does your faith help you deal with them?

By: Andy. This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 at 10:27 am and is filed under Devotional, Faith. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.