This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
A friend of mine recently experienced a tragic loss in her family. Another friend lost her job. And another, a long-desired project. All of these losses were sudden and unexpected. And while each of these friends is a believer, the losses are still devastating.
Paul in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Romans encouraged the church to rejoice in their sufferings. I don’t know about you, but when I lose something that I wanted so much or something is taken away that I was sure was mine, the last thing I want to do is celebrate that loss. I want to cry, yell, maybe even drown myself in a tub of ice cream. But I don’t want to party.
And yet, as believers, celebrating is exactly what we should do in the face of loss (devasting or minor). Because Paul goes on to say suffering produces endurance, endurance creates character, character produces hope, and hope is a product of God’s love for and in us. No one gets out of this life unscathed by broken hearts and crushed dreams. But how we react is the key to whether we grow from the experience or we sit stuck in the fallout.
So the next time you experience a loss, take the time to grieve it, but don’t stay there. Pick your heart back up and continue your journey. The effort only makes your faith stronger, building your character, and comforting you with the everlasting hope God has given us through Jesus.
This is Felicia Ferguson, thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.