“O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.     1 Corinthians 5:55-58 NKJV

As we go through life, we will experience scary situations. Scary situations can be any number of things from being the victim of a violent crime to losing your job.

As a true crime enthusiast, one of my favorite shows and podcasts is I Survived. In this series, people who have been through harrowing events from natural disasters to brutal crimes tell their stories. At the end, they are asked why they believe they survived. I find it interesting that a number of them give credit to God. They admit to having prayed during this traumatic event. Some even talk about how it has deepened or strengthened their faith. Many others, however, credit themselves and will say that it was because they were able to have a positive attitude or because they were a fighter or because of their determination.

Often times we think that in any scenario, the worst thing that could happen is that we could die. As Christians, however, death is a good thing. Jesus’ death on the cross saved us from our sins. His resurrection from the dead gave us victory over death. So even in death, we are not conquered because if we believe in Christ, surrender to Him and put our faith in Him, we will be victorious over death. This gives us victory over our enemies. They can kill the body, but our soul goes on to heaven to spend eternity with our Lord and Savior.

Paul said in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” In Romans 8:37, Paul said, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Jesus never promised us a life free of trouble if we followed Him. Actually, He promised us that we would have trouble in this world. He told us we would suffer persecution and hatred for His namesake in Matthew 10:22, but He also assured us that those who endure to the end will be saved. In John 16:33 He tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus has conquered sin and death and through Him we can do the same.

So, simply put, we only have two options. We can live as we choose, forget about Jesus and forget about what He commands of us and die and go to a fiery hell where we will spend eternity in agony. Or we can surrender our lives to Him, trust in Him and love Him with all our hearts and when we die, our souls live on in the glory and splendor of heaven for eternity.

It would seem like a simple choice, but it’s not. This old world offers too many distractions that often draw us away from the Lord. We find ourselves not having time to pray, study our Bibles or attend worship services.

We will go through some terrible things in this life here on planet earth. I have found it’s much easier to go through them with Jesus by my side. And I find comfort knowing that the worst that could happen is that I could die. Oh, wait a minute, as a Christian, that is also the best thing that will ever happen to me. It’s a win/win.

It can be a win/win for you too if you choose correctly.

Have a great day!