November 21st, 2020
Brave Devotional Series - Week 6 – Not So Grim Reaper - Saturday – Pastor Todd
Blanketed in Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV)
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
Now and again, someone asks me why they feel so sad and why they cry if they know as a Christian that the person they loved has gone to heaven? It is like they are asking for permission to grieve, even though they believe in eternal life. Let me share two thoughts.
First, it’s not only OK to grieve; it’s essential to do so. No matter how glorious the afterlife for the one who has gone on, our life has just been reduced by their loss. Some part of us has been torn away, and anguish and tears are part of how God made us respond. Through grief, we come to terms with our loss and our feelings. Here at Real Life, we offer a ministry called Grief Share. If you have lost a loved one in recent years, I very strongly recommend you sign up to participate. You can learn more by emailing contact@reallife.us.
The second thing to know is that our grief should never overcome our hope. Paul reminded the church that we don’t grieve like “the rest of men and women, who have no hope.” (I Thessalonians 4:13) We cry tears of sadness, but they are temporary, not permanent tears for the Christ-follower. This attitude changes the whole tone of a believer’s funeral. As we sit at the funeral service, we hold two emotions in dynamic tension. We know we are enduring loss, but we also know a better day is coming. Once we finish this temporal life, there will be no parting ever again.
As we get near the holidays, our minds often turn to our departed loved ones. This year let your grief be blanketed in hope, a hope that comes because of what Jesus himself did for us through his resurrection.
Blanketed in Hope
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV)
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”
Now and again, someone asks me why they feel so sad and why they cry if they know as a Christian that the person they loved has gone to heaven? It is like they are asking for permission to grieve, even though they believe in eternal life. Let me share two thoughts.
First, it’s not only OK to grieve; it’s essential to do so. No matter how glorious the afterlife for the one who has gone on, our life has just been reduced by their loss. Some part of us has been torn away, and anguish and tears are part of how God made us respond. Through grief, we come to terms with our loss and our feelings. Here at Real Life, we offer a ministry called Grief Share. If you have lost a loved one in recent years, I very strongly recommend you sign up to participate. You can learn more by emailing contact@reallife.us.
The second thing to know is that our grief should never overcome our hope. Paul reminded the church that we don’t grieve like “the rest of men and women, who have no hope.” (I Thessalonians 4:13) We cry tears of sadness, but they are temporary, not permanent tears for the Christ-follower. This attitude changes the whole tone of a believer’s funeral. As we sit at the funeral service, we hold two emotions in dynamic tension. We know we are enduring loss, but we also know a better day is coming. Once we finish this temporal life, there will be no parting ever again.
As we get near the holidays, our minds often turn to our departed loved ones. This year let your grief be blanketed in hope, a hope that comes because of what Jesus himself did for us through his resurrection.
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