One of the things I wasn’t prepared for when I went into ministry was the frequency with which I’d be facing the sad subject of death. Several times each year I am in the position of talking with people who are struggling because of a family member or friend passing away. It has forced me to try to mentally and emotionally process how a person is to Biblically respond to the grief that accompanies the sudden passing of a loved one. While this article is too short to completely delve into the topic, I do want to share a couple ideas that have helped me as I try and work through the pain of losing someone.
The first thing for Christians to realize is that grief is normal and acceptable. Many well-meaning Christians offer the platitude of “they’re home with the Lord now,” and then expect those grieving to suddenly feel better inside. Jesus Himself mourned to the point of sobbing over the loss of Lazarus, and this was while knowing that he’d raise him from the dead (John 11:32-37)! So allowing ourselves to grieve, cry, and hurt is acceptable and even healthy for us. It also can bring us closer to God through our pain if we turn toward Him as our great counselor (Psalm 34:18 & 147:3).
In grieving, I then try and view death from God’s perspective, which can be difficult. But the most helpful and comforting verse I’ve come across in dealing with death is Psalm 116:15, which says: “ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” How can death be “precious” to God? Because we were made for so much more than this lousy world has to offer. We were created for God (Col. 3:16) and to walk and talk with God face to face, like Adam and Eve did. When you examine what the Garden of Eden was like, and what the New Jerusalem will be like, you see remarkable parallels. We realize that God didn’t give up on His desire for us to commune directly with Him when Adam and Eve fell. Instead, His redemptive plan ends with us living eternally with Him, as originally intended, without pain, sin, suffering, illness, bickering, or death. Those believers who have passed away were greeted in heaven with rejoicing as they now get to live with Christ as God originally intended. This is precious to God as He desires an eternal relationship with us, and upon our leaving this temporary home, we finally get to live with Him (and other believers) forever without the obstructions that this world has to offer.
