Unstoppable Even in Grief

Unstoppable Even in Grief

Reading: Romans 12:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13
Romans 12:15 calls believers to share in one another's emotional experiences, both in sorrow and in joy.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 distinguishes between grief that has no hope and grief that is carried within the hope of the resurrection.

Devotional: The devout men who buried Stephen did not pretend everything was fine. They mourned loudly. The early church did not perform stoicism in the face of real loss. Unstoppable faith does not mean painless faith. It means that grief is carried within a community and within a hope that outlasts the loss.

The enemy exploits isolated grief. He pounces when you are most vulnerable because he wants the pain to produce surrender. Do not grieve alone. Bring your raw emotion into the presence of God and the people of God, because that is where your strength is found.

Reflection: Are you currently carrying grief in isolation? What would it look like to bring that grief into community rather than away from it?

Practical Application: Reach out this week to one person in your church community. You do not need to have all the right words. Simply show up for someone who is hurting, or allow someone to show up for you.