I don't know about you, but saying goodbye is hard to do. It could be a friend who is moving away; it could be a spouse who has to travel for work or family emergencies; it could be someone who leaves the church. Regardless of the situation, it's still hard to say goodbye. But there is good news in the sadness.
When Jesus died on the cross, people were weeping as they were saying goodbye to a major influencer in their lives. He has given them wisdom, healing, hope and encouragement. At that moment, He was gone. But Jesus knew it would be for only a moment. He knew that He would be alive again. So He gave His disciples some hope in response to their sorrow.
Read John 14:1-4 or click to view http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A1-4&version=NIV (Click back arrow on web browser to return).
The hope Jesus gave to the disciples was that they were going to see Him again. Life doesn't end when the last breath is exhaled. We have Heaven.
That is the good news we all have. In every moment we say goodbye to someone, we are reminded again that we will see each other again. It may be here, there or in Heaven. But the fact still remains, we will see each other again.
That is why I love our church. We have the opportunity to build friendships that will last forever. Sure, people move away; sure people die; sure people leave for work. We have hope that we will see each other again.
I hope this encourages you today as it does me.
As you close: Thank God for eternity. Thank God for heaven. Thank God for friendships/relationships. Thank God that in the church, those relationships will last forever.
God Bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment