Death to life

Posted by Jeffrey Smith February 5th, 2016 1,947 Views 0 Comments

1st Corinthians 15:54-55:But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

When we experience a loss of a loved one, we can often go through trying times, questioning a lot of things in our own lives. Grief of loss in any situation, can bring about an internal inventory of ourselves, focusing on things like regret, fear, even questioning our own mortality.
When that happens, we take our eyes off of what counts and that is Jesus Christ. You see with Jesus at the center of all things, it leaves no room for us to focus on ourselves, or the negative in situations. We certainly can grieve the loss of another human being, and we should. It is important to do so, so that we may recognize the meaning of our relationships that are rooted in love and caring.
But with the death of something, brings new life and we have proof of that in Jesus Himself. After enduring the torture and wounds that brought the promise of healing for us (Isaiah 53:5), He was humiliated in death. Yet, three days later, He arose to eternal glory, and so it is with this we have hope in the death of things, that life comes in abundance even after the death of something as glorious as our savior.
When we see a death in our life, and whether that is a relationship, a job, or even a loved one, there is an eternal truth through Jesus that something new and glorious will come.
Letting go of the loss, after giving it the proper respect it deserves is paramount in our growth as children of God. He has more for us than our present situation, and since we have this hope in Jesus, we only have to trust in the truth of who He is in our lives.
Sometimes, we can grow bitter and angry over a loss, and that can be the natural way in this world, but as children of God, we know another way, and that is to walk in the truth that is laid before us. When we make the decision to walk forward despite our hurt, anger, and resentment, we are saying, God, I trust You. I may not like this situation, but I know you have more for me.
If we get bogged down in our hurt, anger, and resentment, we can be stuck in that place, thinking the way out is shrinking by the second. If we find ourselves in that place, we look for ways to manage our situation and stop looking toward the freedom of Jesus Christ. Even if we are believers in Him, when we focus on ourselves, we can shrink our view of what His power is in our lives.
Jesus did for whoever asked, exactly what they believed He could do for them. If we believe that He will liberate us from anger, He will do so. If we believe that He will heal us of disease, He will do so. We put the limits on Jesus, nobody else. He is our pathway to freedom in any situation. Believe, and trust in the fact that He has more for us all.