Loss

<<distress, forfeiture>>

When our possessions are stolen or destroyed, or someone close to us dies we feel devastation and emotional pain, because we have suffered loss. Jesus cried in grief at the loss of His friend Lazarus, and in pain on the cross He cried out to God, “Why have you forsaken me” (Mt 27:46; Jn 11:35). These feelings are natural but we need to recognize the effects of being under intense emotional strain and consider our responses. Like Jesus, be prepared to forgive those who have harmed us rather than retaliating, watch to see you are not falling into self-pity and don’t be hasty in making major decisions,

The words of Christ to us are, “I will never leave you” (Jn 14:16; Heb 13:5). Do not let bad or unwelcome experiences drive you from God but rather bring you into a closer relationship with Him.

Renew your commitment and love to God, find comfort in fellowship with Him through prayer and Bible reading.

There is release to be gained by working through the inner emotions of grief – crying and sharing with friends who help in the recovery process so you can move on with your life. The passing of time often reduces the devastation of the past.

The Bible asks, “What does it profit a person if they gain everything in the world but lose their own soul to hell?” (Lk 9:25). What are my goals and values? Similarly, our work for the Lord needs to be done in response to His direction and with theright motive otherwise it will not accomplish anything

Work for what will not result in eternal loss – 1 Corinthians 3:15

of eternal worth (Mt 6:1,5,16; 1 Cor 3:10-15).

Although Paul had an impressive track record before he became a follower of Christ, he now considered it all worthless in comparison to knowing and experiencing Him in an ever-deepening way (Phil 3:4-11). Do I want Christ more than anything, being prepared to suffer loss in the eye's of the world but gain in the spiritual realm?