Most people view death with fear, anxiety, and sadness, seeing it as the loss of something precious—a terrifying end to our lives on earth. But this should not be the way we understand death.

Sadness and Pain

I deeply understand the profound sadness and pain of losing someone you love. I lost my father when I was very young, and more recently, I lost my brother-in-law to cancer. It is incredibly heartbreaking to form meaningful relationships and then be forced to leave them behind. When we love someone deeply, facing the reality of loss becomes an inevitable and painful part of life.

Fear, Anger, Denial, and Blame

Many people experience fear, anger, and denial, and in their grief, they sometimes blame God. When a loved one dies—especially when it feels too soon or when a child passes away, leaving grieving parents behind—these intense emotions are natural. However, these feelings often stem from viewing death through an unbiblical lens. I understand that those who don’t believe in God might feel this way, but it’s important to remember that we cannot both deny God’s existence and blame Him for our pain.

Before blaming God, we should consider His perspective as presented in the Bible. Even Christians struggle with understanding death, so this isn't an issue limited to nonbelievers. By gaining a proper biblical understanding, we can approach death with deeper insight and a sense of peace.

A Biblical Perspective of Death

God created us to be His family, with us as His children, because He loves us. Yet, because of our sins, we became separated from our Father. Our true home is in His Kingdom, but this world has become our prison, and we live here in decaying bodies.

Physical death is simply the shedding of these corrupted bodies. While our physical form ceases to exist, our souls continue—they live forever.

Death is inevitable on this earth because this world cannot sustain eternal life. When we die, God is welcoming us back home, saving us from the decay of this fallen world. Christians, young children, and those who are mentally unable to understand will enter God’s Kingdom with open arms—no more pain, suffering, or death. Biblically, death is our ultimate blessing. It signifies that we have made it through the valley of death and are finally home with God our Father—just as it was always meant to be

Most people live as if they will never die. But the reality of death—especially when it comes unexpectedly—reminds us that our time here is limited. The death of a young person reminds us that death can come at any age, while the death of an older person reminds us that no one escapes it. None of us knows the day or hour we will leave this world.

Everything dies on this side of Heaven—everything eventually rusts and turns to dust. God hopes we realize the futility of trying to build a life on this temporary earth. He calls us to turn to Him, to give our lives to Him, so we can go home and finally rest in Him.

Fear of Death

Our fear of death often comes from not fully grasping the reality of God and Heaven. We fear the unknown and see death as being torn away from a world we love, rather than as our ultimate blessing. The truth is, we may be loving the world and its temporary pleasures more than we are loving God.

When God rescued Lot and his wife from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was reluctant, needing to be dragged out of the wicked city instead of rejoicing at his deliverance. His wife, like many unbelievers, was crushed by the harsh reality of their escape and turned into a pillar of salt. In the same way, those who reject God will face the crushing reality of their choice and live eternally separated from Him in Hell.

We often get angry at God for death because we view this world as everything, while seeing God as distant or secondary. Many people value God only for His promise of escaping Hell and alleviating suffering, rather than for the joy of being with Him and escaping the prison of this earthly life. We cry out to God with “Why?” while He asks us, “Why don’t you long to come home and find rest in Me?”

If we choose to answer God's call by repenting and seeking forgiveness, we can return home to be with our Father and find true rest.