Grieving for a Time

“Too many Christians feel that grief is wrong, that we’re supposed to rejoice when a loved one goes to be with the Lord. While we can rejoice in their homegoing, we can also grieve our loss.” ~Bruce Barton

Although not a Puritan quote, it is a quote with much truth. We read of someones passing daily in the newspaper or see the obituaries on Facebook or some other form of social media. Death is all around us and for many they are currently dealing with it or preparing for it.

We pass funeral processions and see the mourners gathered at the funeral home. But recently it seems, but I could be wrong, people are having things called celebration of life services rather than the traditional funeral service. I’m sure there are a number of reasons for this, but to me it ties in with the quote.

When one of my loved ones passes I do not want to celebrate. I get the thought process behind it, remembering their life, the good times, telling and hearing stories, fun moments, ect. But I don’t want to celebrate because it’s a time of grieving. They are gone and i dearly miss them. Grieving is OK, we shouldn’t shy away from it. It’s not a sin to mourn the loss of a family member or friend.

To grieve is a healthy part of growth i believe. We know the person is gone and memories flood our mind. We have emotional responses, some different than others, and after some time we begin to heal from the loss. There is nothing wrong with being sad and broken. Nothing wrong with feeling alone for a time. Nothing wrong with weeping and needing help to get past it. It’s all part of a natural process.

Matthew 5:4 reads ““Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. Be sure of the fact that God is with you in your grieving and will comfort you and return peace to your heart. It may not come quickly, but you are not alone and He will not fail.

We waste away for a time in our grieving but the day will come when Christians will be united together again. Our grandparents, who came before us and was known by God, will stand next to us again. Your parents that have been gone for many years will see your face again. The children lost at birth will see their mother and father. We will all be fully united in full glory before God and all His angels in heaven forever.

Prepare yourself now for the day of grieving because we will have grief. People will leave us. With some we will watch the process happen and be able to somewhat prepare to part ways, with others, they will leave unexpectedly. Prepare yourselves and make sure you know that those around you are prepared too. We have a duty to share what Christ did for sinful humanity. We do them a great disservice by not sharing the greatest news that’s ever been told.

God became man and took on flesh in Jesus, lived a perfect life, which we could not do, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law himself and taking on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn and trust in him. He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us had been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness. If we repent of our sins and trust in Christ, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
(Mark 1:15)

God be with those that grieve. Let them mourn and weep for a time. Restore their hearts and point their eyes back towards you. Let us always be reminded of your promises in our times of mourning, and let us prepare ourselves for that final day of judgement. Put a burden on our hearts for those outside of Christ, and may we always be ready to share the reason for the hope we have within. AMEN