One of the principles we talked about in a series of messages a few months ago was interpreting life correctly. We miss out on so much when we misinterpret life. This week, our church family faces the shocking news that one of our deacons suffered a brain anuerysm and died at 57 years-old. In fact, he died two years after his wife who had a congenital heart condition.
It's so important for us to help people interpret these things correctly. Let me give you some misinterpretations that Christians can buy into during times like this:
1. We shouldn't mourn or grieve because we know our loved one is in Heaven. The Bible says that we don't mourn as those without hope. It doesn't end the sentence with "We don't mourn." It's that we mourn, grieve, and weep, but with hope--not without hope. I have meet Christians who refuse to allow themselves to cry becuase they think it's unspiritual. That's a misinterpretation that will cause grief to surround you more and more--not less and less.
2. If we had prayed more or had more faith, our loved one wouldn't have died. That puts the power of life and death in our hands, not in God's. The Bible says in James that we pray the prayer of faith, but the Lord raises up the sick. Why doesn't God heal every sick person? Because it is still appointed to man once to die, according to the Bible. I believe in miracles, but I trust in Jesus. Not everyone we pray for will be healed, but we keep praying. And, we don't get disappointed and lament powerless faith, blaming ourselves or each other. We believe in miracles, but we trust in Jesus.
3. God isn't good. God is still good no matter what. Is it God's will for our loved one to be healed? Yes. Then why doesn't he? Let's start at the root. Was it God's will for Adam and Eve to sin? No. Was it God's will for death and sickness to come into the world because of sin? No. Was it God's will for our loved one to fall prey to that death and sickness? No. But, that's the course that humans charted when we allowed sin, death, and sickness into the world. So, what's God doing about it? He sent his son to die so that we can live not only in this world, but in a world to come with no sin, death, or sickness. He gave his all to redeem us from the curse of sin. That's why I can still say that God is good all the time.
It's important to interpret life well. If we don't, we'll wind up blaming God, blaming others, or blaming ourselves.
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9 comments:
Dear Pastor:
I cannot agree with you more. While I morn the loss of a good friend and a fellow Board member, my Faith is strengthened in HE that heels for eternity. Too many times I think we get stuck in believing that "physical" healing before our own eyes can be the only evidence of GOD's healing. We also get stuck in believing that GOD "will" heal as long as we pray for healing. By getting stuck in these beliefs we make it about us and our desires and not about GOD. We also limit GOD by our own limtited knowledge and thinking.
I know that GOD has heard Gary's prayers and those of our congregation. I also know that Gary has now been healed for eternity. Although we will miss our brother and the relationship we each had with him and although we wish he was still hear with us, he is now HOME.
Thank you for being our Pastor.
Russ Hixson
As I have had a chance to sort out this whole idea in the past couple years, I agree with all you said. Death is not a bad thing, death leads to ultimate life - - in heaven with our Saviour. At the same time, we cannot say that death is a good thing either, because it hurts like the dickens for those of us who are left behind. I think we all saw how the grace of God lifted Gary over the past couple years (in ways that were amazing), even though he yearned for his wife in ways that I cannot fathom since I have not walked in his shoes in that way. To see the body of Christ at work in the midst of Gary's homecoming has been comforting. Those around truly see the love of God at work. Pastor, I also thank you and the other pastors for your leadership and guidance during these seemingly troubling times and to always pointing us to Anchor of our Souls.
Steve Davidson
I believe it comes down to the matter of TRUST - God is sovereign. We can trust Him in everything - even if we don't understand or it doesn't make sense. The Lord is good, no matter what. And He will help us through the good times and the hard, carrying us if we let Him.
Gary received the ultimate healing - to be with Christ and reunited with Jacki whom he loved so much. We will miss him here - he was a blessing to his family, our church family, the bus kids, and everyone he had contact with. Gary had such a humble gentle spirit in everything he did. We give God glory for the life Gary was able to live.
Grief is normal, Christians and nonChristians alike. And there are numerous stages of grief as well. When my dad died almost 3 years ago - Steve is right "it hurts like the dickens" - it was a big loss in my life, but God helped me through one step at a time, along with family and friends. We pray for Gary's family during their time of loss as well.
--Gloria Bradshaw
My husband passed away 3 months ago at the age of 53 and I didn't understand why. It has been very hard on me since then and I feel totally lost but reading what you said has really helped me to understand and to know that I will someday be with him again because God is good and I have given him my total faith. I too want to thank you for being my/our pastor.
I agree with you, Pastorson. What a blessing to have 'balance'. Some of these misinterpretations of life make us (Christians) wierd-acting. I've seen so many people with these ideas who get stuck in anger, denial, depression; or they become just 'wierd-acting', guilt-ridden,(and sometimes) become accusers of their Christian brothers who have very bad things happen to them. The bigger miracle and greatest testimonies are sometimes the incredible ways our very good, and BIG God takes us THROUGH trecherous places.
My thoughts could not be put into words any better than the GREAT first four comments above. We (myself & Linda) cannot express how greatful and honored we are that God allowed us to have the amount of time we had with Gary & Jacki (who I also worked with) including the get together we & Gary had just left & to know that he felt fine and was Gary right up to the time he went to his new home. He joked during one of the games we played and made the comment that he didn't have the biggest house on the block but was comfortable. Well, he now has the biggest and most comfortable one now! In the 26 years I have been saved these were two of the best examples of what we should be like in our walk with the Lord. I only hope that someday I can be considered just a little bit like either one of them. I am so happy that Gary is back with Jacki now and they can walk together thru eternity. But as noted in previous comments it leaves a HUGE hole in our lives and it is OK to be sad about that. We MUST remember there is NO bad in God & we need to Praise God for eternally healing both of them!
Gary & Jacki we will LOVE you both forever and NEVER forget you!
Steve & Linda Morris
Pastor Glenn,
Very well stated. 3 main points are very good. Thank you for your leadership at CLA. Lord bless you.
Brian B
Gary was a wonderful man and although we don't always understand God's plan or why he does things the way he does them the Bible tells us that God always has a plan. I believe that if we trust God through all things that we will find the strength to handle this great loss. We will be lifted up and be stronger than we ever imagined that we could be. Gary would say that while we are grieving we should also be rejoicing for he has gone home to his father's house.
When Larry and I first started to the Church, Gary and Jackie were one of the first couples we met and couldn't help falling in love with them. The first group we went to was at their house and you were there that night. We were nervous about going,but Gary and Jackie made us feel like we had always been a part of the family at CLAG. We will miss them both very much and we know that some day we will see them both in glory with our loving Savior and Friend. Pastor Glenn your message gave me food for thought and i hope that my light and love for Christ will shine as bright as Gary's has in the few3 short yrs the we have known him. Bless you abd your family for always being here and being so a good teacher friend and Pastor. Dana Gibbens
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