Keeping your faith when things are going great seems easy but how do we keep the faith when things seems to be falling apart around us? As Christians, we are not promised a problem free life, but we are guaranteed a Savior that is always by our side.
I was a senior in high school when my mother was diagnosed with stage 1 colorectal cancer. We were told by her oncologist that she had a 95% chance of survival past 5 years! Those were amazing odds. Although we were facing the trials and tribulations of cancer, we found hope in Jesus and in statistics.
After chemotherapy and radiation therapy, we were told that the cancer had spread. We felt the weight of her new diagnosis. We prayed daily for healing over her body and the Lord chose to heal her for eternity. The Lord called my mom to heaven 4 years and 7 months after her first diagnosis. She went to be with Jesus on October 2016. I was 22 years old and three months pregnant with my son.
Grieving the loss of my mother has been the hardest thing I have dealt with..ever. I kept my eyes turned toward Jesus during that time. I knew that He had her in His arms and that He was also holding me. During my initial grieving, I turned toward my faith rather than run from it. I know that is not always the “human” thing most of us do. Some people might feel abandoned or ignored and I want to address those feelings and what Jesus promises those who are grieving.
Being a Christian does not mean you will live a life without trials and tribulations..look at Job. He lost everything and everyone that mattered most to him, but he kept the faith. I look up to Job a lot. He went through more heartache than most of us can fathom. His faith never wavered. God rewarded his faithfulness with 10 times everything he lost.
However, being a Christian does mean that we have a Savior that has overcome the world. Nothing is impossible with God! What a blessing knowing we have the King of Kings on our side!
When I fix my eyes on Jesus, the heaviness is lifted. I’m not saying that all my problems go away, but I find my hope in Jesus, in who He is, and in what He has promised to me. He says that if I come to Him, He will give me rest!
God sees your grief. He grieves when you do! He loves us so much and wants to be your Comforter. Psalm 10:14 NIV says “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
While we suffer in the present, we need to turn toward Jesus and find hope in Him. I know that my mom is rejoicing in Heaven with Jesus. Her worldly suffering was nothing compared to the greatness she will continue to experience for eternity! God tells us this in Romans 8:18 NIV “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Jesus loves us so much. He sees our pain and wants us to come to Him. He says in Psalms 34:18 NIV “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
When you feel the weight of grief whether it be over the death of a loved one, a hard financial situation, a bad relationship, a work hardship, or anything else, I pray you will lean toward God! Keep the faith in your grieving. He will see you through! He will hold you and keep you. I have listed out the different verses that will help you to remember that God sees your pain and promises to love you through it.
Ten Verses to memorize when you are grieving
Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Romans 12:12 – “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Psalm 62:5 – “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7 – “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
John 14:27 – “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
