Your Life Does Not End When You’re Earthly Relationships Do!
One of the most dangerous things that we as human say is that a person or group of people is or are “our world" or "our entire life” and "we can't live without them". Although it may not be intentional, placing that dependency on earthly relationships leads to devastation and disappointment. People fail. Our earthly bodies are temporary. If Jesus is not our world, and the center of our lives first, then when the people in our lives enter and exit, so does our will to live, and our sense of purpose because it was pointed to our earthly relationships.
After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples had to live without the earthly presence of Jesus. However, just as He promised, Jesus sent them the Holy Spirit which brought them great peace, strength and hope to continue to live out their God-given destinies to share the good news of Jesus. Today, we are the disciples of Jesus who need to keep living.
If you suffered a loss due to a dissolution of a relationship or friendship, keep living. Jesus will heal the hurt, and the pain you feel now, if you allow it, will be used to bring healing and hope to others. People are watching. If you retreat and stop living a life of purpose and joy, they will too. If they see you push past the pain with transparency, grace and resolve, they will have hope to do the same.
If you suffered a loss due to death of anyone special on your life whether a parent, child, family member, friend or pastor, keep living. The legacy of love and purpose they left is the baton you must now pick up and run with patience and perseverance.
I am in no way saying that you must put on a phony front or mask. The exit of a relationship hurts deeply. Cry, grieve and be real about the pain you feel from your loss. Psalm 34:18 tells us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”.
However, there is going to come a time when you must pick yourself up and keep running. Jesus understood loss better than anyone. He suffered loss and abandonment from his family, community and followers. Even at the point of death, His own Father forsook Him. However, at that cross he took the eternal loss we were destined to suffer away. He died so we could live.
When the grieving period is over, you must look to the hope He gave us for eternity. We will be restored forevermore and can experience it in the here and now when we make Jesus the one who is our world. When we do, we can point others to the hope we experienced because we have compassion for what they are going through.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Remember, someone’s entrance in or exit out of your life does not alter who God created you to be for Him. It does not change your calling. Until we leave this earth, our lives will be filled with entrances and exits. However, the one who was, is and is to come isn’t going anywhere, Jesus will never exit your life.
It’s time to keep living.
