Our Present
Steadfast in the Storms of Life
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Our story is one of many. H. Norman Wright, in his book on crisis counseling, writes that “the journey through life is a series of losses, crises and, in some cases, traumas—some are predictable and expected, but others are total surprises.” Everyone, at some point in their life, will experience a crisis.
One of ours was the loss of our son. I’ve done my best in this series to tell our story, but I especially wanted to focus on the truths from the Bible that helped us through it all. It’s really because of those that we were able to make it. Without God’s promises to us, we almost certainly would’ve lost hope.
In a previous post, I discussed 1 Corinthians 15:42-57. In that passage, Paul discusses the resurrection of the dead. Referencing the Old Testament, he writes this powerful statement:
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
As Paul often does, he follows up this deep theological topic with a “therefore.” Because this is true, there needs to be a change in how we act. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, he writes:
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Because we have a Savior, and thus future hope, we can press on in spite of present grief. Our story can be one of hope. Our pain can even bring comfort, both to ourselves and those around us.
Pain is a reality in our present, but that doesn’t mean we have to wallow in it. Because there’s more to this life than just the present, we can remain steadfast in the storms of life.
This is the final part of my CHD Awareness Week series. To read the previous entry, click the button below:
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