Starting Over

If you are alive, you have had setbacks and failures.

There is no worse feeling in the world than to lose something valuable or to see all your hard work “go up in smoke.”

Loss comes in many ways. Maybe someone close to you has died. Maybe a thief has stolen something valuable to you. Maybe you have been injured or sick, leaving permanent scars and limitations. Maybe floods, winds or fire have destroyed all that you’ve worked so hard to build.

It is hard not to give in to despair as you look at the broken wreckage, knowing that you will have to live with deep, painful holes in your heart the rest of your life, knowing that this is not the last loss you will experience, knowing the pain you will need to face to have the courage to build again. As you watch the smoke rising from the ashes of your sorrow, you may wonder whether it was worth it and doubt whether you have the courage and strength to rebuild. It would be easier to walk away and try to forget.

In our pain and sorrow, it is easy to fear. Fear of losing again. Fear of being overwhelmed by pain. Fear arising out of feelings of vulnerability. Fear of the unknown. Fear of never recovering. I’ve heard it said that God tells us not to be afraid 365 times in the Bible, once for every day of the year. Fear is the faith-killer. Instead of running to God for comfort and protection, we shut down and hide.

But God tells us that “He is with us, always” and “He makes “all things work for us, for our good.” He is the restorer of the breach. He is “the Lord, our healer.” He also assures us that He is with us during the pain: “I will never leave you for forsake you.”

The gospel is good news! It is the simple reminder that God loves us so much that he became a man and lived among us, to show us His love. He felt our pain. He experienced our loss. He healed the sick, comforted the oppressed and helped others. Even when we rejected Him and killed Him cruelly, He forgave us and returned to give us His life.

Receive His life. Trust that He loves you and will NEVER leave you. Ask Him to teach you how to deal with adversity and disappointment. Find all your strength and hope in Jesus. Every other support will fail you.