Why You Can Face the Future Without Fear

by Rick Warren — February 12, 2023
From Living in the Goodness of God

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Someday your life on Earth is going to end, but that’s not going to be the end of you. You’re going to live forever in one of two places: heaven or hell. Your body is going to die, but you’re not going to die, because you were made to last forever.

How long is forever going to last? Forever!

The Bible tells us why Christians should be the most confident about the future: “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord . . . We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 NIV).

You will never know how to really live until you’re ready to die. Only a fool would go through life totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable. 

You’re going to die someday. If you’ve accepted Christ, then you’re going to go to heaven, to “live in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6 NLT). In heaven, you’ll be released from pain, sorrow, suffering, depression, and fear. “He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone” (Revelation 21:4 The Message).

For Christians, death is a transfer, a promotion. It’s on to better things and no more problems.

Those truths should change everything for you! It doesn’t mean life is going to be easy. And it doesn’t mean you will always be happy, or always know what you should do, or that you will never sin again.

But it does mean you can face the future without fear. God has taken care of your biggest problem, your salvation. He is never going to leave you, and you will live with him forever!

Talk It Over

  • How is your confidence about the future reflected in your life?
  • When a follower of Jesus dies, why can we have hope within our grief?
  • What do you think heaven will be like? What does the Bible say heaven will be like?

Where will you spend eternity?

The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ. You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).


If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, start with this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

"I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen."

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.