Thursday, October 11, 2018

like those who have no hope


Today we read from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3 in the One Year Bible. Paul tells us not to act like those who "have no hope" when our loved ones die.

And this is an important teaching, both for us and for those who see us when we lose someone. It's important for US because we need to place our trust in Him during the times in our lives that are hard, for our own sake. We will stay emotionally and mentally healthier if we trust Him to get us through the loss of a loved one. So that's one of the reasons it's important for US.

It's important for others because they watch to see if we really do believe what we say we believe. If we say that we believe in heaven and that our loved one is going there, then our response to their passing away should reflect that. We might not go as far as St Therese of Lisieux, who told her mom that she hoped that her mom would die soon so that she would go to heaven. But our faith should be evident in the way we respond to all of the crises in our lives, including death.

Not that this is easy. When you love someone and lose them, it can hit you very hard. That's just part of what it means to be human. And it's even a good thing for us to SHARE those struggles with other people, so they see that we're human after all, and that we struggle like they do to deal with loss. But we also need to share our FAITH. Share the fact that while it really hurts, we do believe that God will ease our suffering, and will take care of our loved one. If we share our fears and doubts and pain ALONG with our faith and love and joy, then they see how one can grow from the other. And when it comes time for them to lose someone... they might remember where our strength came from.

God, thanks for teaching us not to mourn like those without hope... and thanks for being our hope.

No comments: