HOW DO I FIND OPTIMISM WHEN I'M SAD

By Greg Laurie, CP Contributor Friday, February 09, 2024,/ iStock/artplus

One of my grandson's rabbits was named Fuzzy, and the other Cotton. You've probably heard about the reproductive efficiency of rabbits, and I can guarantee that the rumors are true. Cotton and Little Fuzzy had many children during their lifetime.

However, one day, my granddaughter Allie came crying to me and told me that Fuzzy The Rabbit had died. In between her tears, she kept saying, " it's not fair!"

I told him that Fuzzy had lived a long and productive life and left many offspring. We estimate about eighty rabbit Cubs. (He was an active Tinder user in rabbit's case.) I tell Allie that while I'm not sure if our pets will be seen again in heaven, we will always love our new pets.

While I'm not sure that's the most appropriate answer, it is an honest one. Moreover, his grief is real. I agree with him: death is not fair! It is cruel and cruel and takes our loved ones away from us. 

Every tragedy that happens to others depresses us. Every mass shooting is a tragedy. The death of a loved one leaves a wound in our hearts. I speak from the following situation: Christopher, my son, passed away in 2008. This is the worst day I've ever had. Last summer, we celebrated 15 years since he died. He would have been 48 years old that day.

Everyone will surely die someday, it is a fact that we must believe in life. Although death is inevitable, our culture does not like to discuss it. We use vague terms, such as" he died "or"he went to a better place". We also call our graves "Memorial Gardens"or" eternal rest".

However, death is real, hard and final. People who are in the prime of life are urgently needed to shorten their days. That leaves pain and sadness. Death is not a good friend. We fight death. It's in the Bible, not my opinion. Paul wrote," and the last enemy to be destroyed is death " (NLT) in 1 Corinthians 16: 26.

God didn't want people to die in the Garden of Eden. In the early hours of creation, there was no death; there was no pain, tears, or suffering, and no police or military there. However, man rebelled against God, and sin entered the world. Death is part of it.

The Gospel of John is a fascinating story of death and family tragedy. Besides, they feel unfair, and I feel the same about them.

Lazarus ' Departure

A man named Lazarus lived in Bethany, a city near Jerusalem, with his sisters Mary and Martha, according to John 11. Because some of Jesus ' family members were friends, when Lazarus was sick, the sisters sent a message to Jesus to inform him. When he heard the news, Jesus told them that Lazarus ' illness would not end in death, but that he would wait a few days before leaving for Bethany to check on his friend.

Lazarus was dead when he got there. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha said (John 11:21). He realized how sad Lazarus's friends and family were. "Jesus wept" (John 11: 35, NLT) is one of the shortest and most powerful Bible verses. 

Jesus shares our suffering. He saw their grief. He is aware of the suffering of interrupted life. However, Jesus also told the family that Lazarus would rise again. He asked them to remove the stones that were in front of the grave. After they had done so, Jesus cried out, "Lazarus, come out!"

Moreover, Lazarus miraculously came out of the grave, still alive, with his hands and feet tied to the grave clothes. What can we take from this story?

1.      The fact of death

First, this passage confirms what we already understood earlier: life is full of sadness and pain, and the death of a loved one adds to that sadness. Although this is a harsh truth, it is still true. No one can avoid the difficulties experienced by man. Don't be surprised if it happens to you.

I understand the trauma and the emotions—believe me, I totally understand them-but it's always a little surprising when someone experiencing a sudden loss says, "Why me?"It would be even more shocking if you didn't experience that kind of terrible loss.

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange is happening to you" (NLT), says 1 Peter 4 : 12.

Fortunately, most children do not have to accept this fact, but the inevitable begins to happen with age. Your parents have died. Your parents will die in time. This is a reality in which we are on the planet for a short time. However, sometimes other people die unexpectedly. friends and colleagues. People our age. Many of us have had to go through "fiery trials" over the death of a spouse, sibling, or child.

This is what happened to Mary and Martha.

2.      Love for God

Second, this story points to a more important fact—God loves us. Let's not rush to say this; we know that Mary and Martha understood it. If not, what reason prompted them to ask Jesus for help in the first place? They did not make a request to him, did not invite him, and did not ask him to come.

Recently they told him that Lazarus was sick and hoped that would be enough. After hearing this, they thought Jesus was about to depart. "Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus" (John 11: 5; NLT). Believe me, the sisters knew about it.

They have provided an excellent example of the actions we must take in times of crisis. We cry out to God when someone is sick or in great need. We communicate our needs to him. He must know.

Not immediately, Maria and Martha told him what to do. I think it would not hurt to ask for help with our problem. According to John 4: 2," you don't have what you want because you didn't ask God for it " (NLT), but we should at least ask Jesus to handle our problems.

3.      Eternal time

Third, this story shows that we are not always able to understand God's timing. Although Jesus waited a few days before going to Bethany, Lazarus waited long enough to succumb to his illness and die. He has the ability to run at full speed in an attempt to save his friend. He rode the fastest horse wherever he could. In this way, he may arrive in Bethany! God does not depend on the rules of time and space.

However, Jesus deliberately waited. He didn't even go to the funeral. Because of her love for Lazarus, she postponed her trip to Bethany. There seems to be a contradiction here: if Jesus really loved Lazarus, why didn't he heal him immediately? When we face adversity and tragedy, we ask the same questions. If Jesus really loved me, why did this happen?

It's hard to see through crying eyes. We don't know what will happen or why it will happen to us, but we know that God loves us. Delay does not always mean rejection. "In due time the Lord has made all things beautiful" (NLT), says Ecclesiastes 3: 11. Although our perspective is limited in time,it is eternal.

"Where Were you when Lazarus was sick?"asked Mary and Martha.

When our parents divorced, we wondered: Where Are you? When my son was addicted to drugs, Where Were you? Where Were you when the person I loved had cancer and died?

Notice that when Mary and Martha questioned him, Jesus did not scold them. There is nothing wrong with telling God about your feelings. They brought their questions and doubts to Jesus, and he listened to them. If your pain makes you so angry and sick that you withdraw from God, it is an even greater tragedy.

Although Mary and Martha may have seen the "small picture," Jesus was considering the bigger picture. He said to them, "I am the resurrection and the life."Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die; those who believe in me will live even after death. "Do you believe this, Martha?"(John 11:25-26, New Testament Translation). He considers the future, while we think about what will make us happy and comfortable right now. Do you agree?

Stick to his promise

To conclude, let me ask you one more question: If God does tell you why things happen the way they do, will it ease your grief and heal your heart wounds? I don't think so because it would raise more questions.

We rely on promises, not explanations.

There are times where you ask, "Where Are You, Lord?"I myself have experienced such times. They have suffered many injuries and are still going through them. However, Jesus joins us when we are experiencing difficulties. "When you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you. When you pass through a difficult river, you will not drown" (NLT) is a verse mentioned in Isaiah 43: 2.

The Lord was present when Christopher, my son, was born on April 1, 1975, and he was present when he died on July 24, 2008. In those deep waters, he was present with me. He arrived when I heard news that threatened to make me cry. As I write this, God is with me today.

He remains the same as yesterday, today and forever. He is with us both when we are happy and when we are sad. It is a promise I have fulfilled. Although Paul states that death is our" enemy, " the good news is that God controls all things and death will be destroyed in the end. Although people still die, death is a sin. It brought punishment, and on the cross at Calvary, Jesus defeated sin. Christ rose from the dead. 

Lazarus has not been resurrected.

Greg Laurie is the pastor of Harvest churches in California and Hawaii and Harvest Crusades. He evangelizes, writes bestsellers, and makes films. "Jesus Revolution", a film about Laurie's life produced by Lionsgate and the Kingdom Story Company, was released on February 24, 2023.

News Sources : https://www.christianpost.com/voices/how-i-find-hope-in-times-of-sorrow.html