Do Not Mourn for Too Long
But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? They said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the house of Yahweh, and worshiped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he ate. — 2 Samuel 12:19-20
No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. — Romans 8:37
Author
Dr. Roberto Miranda
Summary: When we experience loss, we should acknowledge the pain and mourn for a healthy period of time, but we must not remain paralyzed or isolate ourselves. We can put the past in its proper place, stand firm in the present, and move forward with hope toward the future. Trials and difficulties shape our faith and allow God’s mercy and faithfulness to be revealed. The Christian life does not promise an absence of problems; it promises that Christ is more powerful and can lead us victoriously through them. In times of crisis, let us seek prayer, the Church, and the support of other believers. After mourning, let us be renewed in the Spirit, embrace life once again, and proclaim God’s blessing.
I have never been able to mourn for too long when a loved one of mine has died in the Lord. I know that they are covered by the blood of Christ, that one day I will see them again, and that what I have to do is keep moving forward and embrace life again.
When a crisis or a loss comes into your life, shake it off and keep moving forward in the name of the Lord. Look toward the future. “I press on toward the goal,” Paul says, “toward the mark the Lord has set for me.” That is what a son or a servant of God does, no matter how many struggles and trials they endure. They try to put the past in its proper place and launch into the future full of hope, with their feet firmly planted in the present, in the here and now.
How will God’s mercy be fulfilled in our lives if we do not go through a trial or a loss that will later put God’s mercy or faithfulness on display? How are we going to become people of faith if we do not go through some struggles? How can an athlete become a great athlete without first enduring great deprivation, hardship, and training?
Life demands this in its natural processes, and it is no different in the supernatural realm. I believe we do God’s people a disservice by preaching to them that everything will be easy, that everything will go well for us, implicitly suggesting that we will not suffer problems if we are in Christ, if we have enough faith, if we pray enough. What we really have to say is this: problems will come, but Christ is more powerful than our problems, and with Him by our side, we will be able to emerge victorious from any trial or loss, no matter how serious or threatening it may be.
When you have a problem, brother or sister, do as the widow did who approached Elisha in the midst of her crisis. Do not give up and die; do not stay home sinking into depression, listening to gloomy music to become even more entrenched in your pain. Do not shut yourself away in your home; do not stop answering the phone; do not stop seeking out a sister or brother with whom to pray. Do not stop seeking the Church; do not stop crying out to the Lord, praying, and seeking His face, because that is the only hope you truly have.
When you have a problem or suffer a loss, grieve, but only for a limited time. Mourn for a little while; that is all right. Mourning and acknowledging that we have experienced a loss and that it hurts are necessary and healthy. But afterward, regain your strength in the Spirit, declare your healing in the Lord, joyfully embrace life again, and move forward proclaiming God’s continuing blessing in your life.