Blessings in the Tears

https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/01/blessing-in-the-tears

I just came out of a hospital visit yesterday evening, and as I walked home through the corridors of the hospital, my eyes welled up in tears thinking about the times I was with my late dad at the same hospital at those waiting areas. Such memories are painful for the living as we cope with the grief and loss of our loved ones. It’s an experience I believe every child will go through, like I did with my late dad, so will my sons go through with me and my wife in the future. We will all face death one day.

But, as Christians, we know that eternal life is certain for those who believe in Jesus Christ and who call upon His name. This is because salvation is by grace and is a free gift from God to those who believe by faith in Christ Jesus, and not by our good works. In other words, no matter what we do, we can not be saved as it was Jesus’s death on the cross that removed the sting of sin, which is death. As we are washed cleaned and redeemed by the blood of Jesus, death will not hold us. One day, we will arise and take our place in our Heavenly Father’s scheme of things!

Thus, as believers, even as we shed tears of sorrow as our loved ones depart, we know they are in heaven with God the Father if they had in their lifetime put their hope and trust in Christ. There are blessings in those tears as we will meet them again if we stay the course until our last breath or when Christ returns. Jesus promised us that blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4). Blessed meaning that God approves and we will receive His favour. Jesus goes on to teach in verse 8 that blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God.

As much as salvation is by grace, it is not just a matter of saying the sinner’s prayer, although that’s an excellent start! The question of works then comes into play post our acceptance of Christ. Like a slave redeemed but redeemed to serve the new master as a free man, we must serve Him well and to the best of our abilities. It is only right that we do the right thing to serve Him as He exchanged His life for our sins.

There is thus a lifetime of service and discipleship to be more like Christ, in terms of our character and our heart. We will never lose out by following Christ as the narrow road leads only to eternal life. If we stay the course, the day we depart this earthen body, our loved ones and brethren in the Lord will miss and mourn us. But there will be blessings in their tears, knowing that one day they will see us again if they themselves stay the course! Indeed, blessed are those who mourn as they will be comforted.