Coping with Loss

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. --Job 1:21

This world is fleeting--temporary. Every day, in fact, every moment is a gift from God. Something within us knows that nothing on this earth is permanent, yet we continue to surround ourselves with as many things as we can hoping to stave off--or at least forget about-- the inevitable. In order to deal with loss in any form, it is important that we maintain a healthy, Biblical attitude about it. By keeping our focus heavenward we are better able to respond to loss in a positive way.

Loss takes on many forms. Sometimes it is experienced through the passing of a loved one. Perhaps it is felt in a decline in health, or in an unwelcomed shift in the family dynamic. Other times loss is sudden or violent and may carry with is untold emotional consequences. Loss doesn't have to be experienced on a grand scale. Losing a contract at work, falling out of contact with a childhood friend, or missing the opportunity to register for a class can be just as difficult for some people to handle gracefully.

In my own life, God has allowed me to experience a variety of losses--some big, others quite inconsequential. Each time, God has used the situation to cause me to focus on Him more closely. My relationship with Him grows as He continues to remind me that everything I have on this earth has come from Him. Because He has promised to always meet my needs, I don't have to let loss affect me so dramatically. God will always sustain me emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, socially, and in just about every other way imaginable.

God is our only lasting source of security and strength. The trappings of this world are temporary, even if they don't seem like it. As Christians we need to remember that God can take things away from us just as effortlessly as He has given them. As long as we remain on this ball of dirt, we are going to experience loss in many forms. Were we to lose everything, we'd still have God. For as much as life changes, God's sovereignty remains the same. Blessed be the name of the Lord.