Death! This is a subject most do not want to talk about. Maybe it is because they have experienced the painful loss of a loved one, or they fear it for themselves. Maybe it is because they are not confident in what comes after death. As a believer, I am confident that my death will not be the end but the beginning of an eternity with Christ. We know that the resurrection of Jesus was proof that He obtained victory over death. He was the greater power to reign forevermore. In I Corinthians 15:26, Paul declares that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” The sting of death will no longer have any power over mankind.
As a Christian, death should take on a different meaning for me than it does for the unbeliever. I have a hope that is eternal. I have peace and joy about the future that satisfies my soul while I am still here. So why is it so difficult for many Christians to come to grips with the reality of death? Why do they linger in the past and allow the missing friends and loved ones to consume their present and future? These are questions we must each ask ourselves if we are to continue to live fruitful lives for Jesus when we are left behind.
When we lose loved ones, we are usually left with good memories. Memories to be cherished and shared with others. If our loved one was a Christian, we can share the memories that cause others to think about the one they lived for. For instance, my dad was a good, moral man all of his adult life, but when he surrendered his life to Jesus, everything changed. He was a military man, a teacher in the public school system, and a musician. These three things caused him to be conscientious in all his endeavors. He sought to be the best he could be in each field. Once he became a Christian, his music changed. He played honky tonk style country music every weekend and loved it. As a Christian, he soon felt the conviction of the things he was saying in music and the way his music was affecting others. He exchanged his honky tonk for God’s music, which would exalt Christ and magnify God. The time he spent in playing for the world to enjoy was exchanged for Christian singing and gospel music events. In school, he taught biblical principles and sought and gained permission from the Alabama legislature to teach the bible as historical lessons. His military training of doing things the right way, no matter what was only amplified as he had an eternal purpose for doing them. As he neared the end of his life after a battle with cancer, he made sure we knew he was longing for heaven. I cherish those memories and would never wish him back here. I love him too much to wish he were here with me, rather than be with Jesus. While I miss him I long for the day we will see each other again.
I Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
How can we move on after the loss of a loved one? We look at the resurrection. When Jesus created us mankind lived in a “heaven on earth.” The Garden of Eden was perfect, and mankind was perfect. Adam walked in the garden daily with God. Then sin entered the world and changed our lives on this earth forever. As a result of sin, death entered the world. Then Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for redemption and proved to us He had power over death and the grave. His resurrection gives us hope to one day see our loved ones again.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
We move on because we believe God loves us and He sees the big picture that is best for us. When we are left here, we must embrace God’s plan for our lives. You have a purpose, and that is to tell others about Jesus. We are to live in such a way that we will be a light for Him. If that were not our purpose, He would take us on to Heaven to live with Him. After all, everything would be better in Heaven. The only thing that we can’t do in Heaven is win the lost. Many people have not heard the great story or had others praying for their salvation because people give up on life when a loved one dies. Death will cause us to grieve, but it should not break our unity with Christ. If it does Christ was not the supreme love of your life. While we all face tragedies that cause grief, we must allow God to turn our tragedies into triumphs. We must cling to the truth that Jesus will always be with us. He will comfort us as no other one can. Give your sadness to Jesus and let Him help you with hope and determination to live the best that you can for Him. Would it not be great to stand before Jesus one day and hear Him say, “Well Done?” It will also be great one day to tell our loved ones their death caused us to push forward and win others to Jesus.
We have a hope that the world does not understand, and it is up to us to show them that death has no hold on the Christian. It cannot take our joy and our peace in Jesus. Read Paul’s words below and rejoice!
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
