Comments Off on Hope When Everything Is Stripped Away
When I tragically lost my father five years ago, I began a journey through grief that I never would have chosen for myself. And every now and again, I’ve tried to write downsome of the things the Lord has patiently taught me along the way. This is the next entry in my journal through the valley of grief.
Grief has a way of stripping life down to what is real.
It can reveal that the things you once leaned on can’t hold you. Also, it often forces you to come face-to-face with things you’ve done everything possible to avoid. Sometimes, it leaves you wrestling with realities you cannot change, explain, or escape. You become desperate to find relief. There must be something to make the aching stop. And when you find yourself there, you ask,
As a nation, we have endured many seasons marked by fear, uncertainty, and injustice. Yet, for us as a church, few moments have struck closer to home than the tragic and senseless murder of Charlie Kirk. His assassination has left us shaken. This is not only because of the deep loss we feel, but also because it happened so close to where we live and worship. This heartbreaking event has stirred fear, confusion, and sorrow in many of our hearts.
We wanted to share a few thoughts to help us respond as followers of Jesus:
1) Be people of prayer. Pray for the Kirk familyas they grieve. Pray for our country, for revival, and for those who are hurting will find the Lord in their pain. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
2) Remember the sanctity of life. As Steele mentioned this past weekend, every human life is precious in God’s sight—full of value and worth. That’s part of what makes this so shocking and jarring. As Christians, we trust that God will judge all things and right every wrong. We rest in that hope. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
3) Rest in God’s sovereignty. We serve a God who is able to bring good even from terrible evil. Remind yourself again and again: God is sovereign and in complete control. We don’t understand all that is happening, but we can trust His faithfulness. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28)
4) Guard your heart and mind. As Bryan said this last weekend, there is wisdom in who we listen to and what we consume. Listening to foolish or inflammatory voices does our hearts no good. Ask: What fruit is this content producing in me—peace or agitation, love or enmity? Choose what leads you closer to Christ. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
5) Be courageous—and loving—with the Truth. Share the Gospel. Stand for biblical Truth with humility and love. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and spoke Truth in love. Be courageous. Share the Truth. Love your enemies. “Speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)
If you need prayer (or someone to talk with), your pastors and church leaders are here for you.
I don’t know about you, but I need reminding often. I forget things so quickly. They go in one ear and out the other. Do you struggle with that? I think we certainly all do in our human nature. And I believe the writers of the New Testament knew that as well. Paul and Peter both wrote to tell the early Church to recall God’s truths. (2 Peter 1:12-13, Romans 15:15)
The disciples also knew they needed reminding. They spent three years physically walking with Jesus, and it’s clear they always required a lot of reminders from our Lord. They knew what Jesus had taught them; they could indeed repeat it. However, many times throughout their days, He reminded them. It’s almost like they needed a good shake to recall His teachings.
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11
Over the last few months, I’ve helped my kids memorize the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed. I tried to mix it up so it wasn’t mechanical and repetitive; I wanted to make it fun for them. I’ve been amazed by how quickly and easily they’ve memorized both of them! It was a testament to how much the human mind can absorb (and retain) when we have the goal of memorizing. In fact, I know people who have memorized whole chapters (and even books) of the Bible! They read it out loud over and over. They remember little bits at a time until they reach their goal.
