Thoughts during a funeral

This morning I went to a funeral for the son of a couple from our church, and our pastor preached the sermon. Their son was saved, which does give great comfort during this time of their loss. Because of this, I decided to write about that today.

Before the service started, I came across the below verses from John 11:

John 11:25-26 "Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

When my mother died in April, 1991 it changed my life forever. Hers was the first real death I had dealt with of someone that I was very close to, and saw on a daily basis until I married, and moved away from home in 1982. In many ways I think it caused me to fear death, and the loss of those whom I love. At the time of her death, I claimed to be a believer, but in reality, I don't believe I was because nothing in my life had ever changed, I don't believe God had regenerated my heart, and given me a new nature. So, I didn't have Christ during that time in my life.

My father passed away in November, 1998, and I think that caused me to fear death even more, and to fear getting close to people I loved because it hurt too much to loose them.

When I read John 11:25-26 this morning before the service, it was like a light bulb went off in my head, and I had understood a bit more. What I'm about to say seems so simple, yet I could not grasp it until today. As a believer, I have nothing to fear, I don't have to fear death, whether it be my own, or my loved ones. Because when we pass away, we will be with the Lord. Our souls will be with Him. The verse below tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord:

2 Corinthians 5:8 "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

Those verses gave me great comfort today, and I no longer have that fear. The death of a loved one is never easy, but when that loved one is a believer, it does make it easier. We know that, even though we miss our loved one, they are with the Lord, and we will see them again.

Death is much more difficult to handle when your loved one was not saved, or you don't know they were saved, as is the case with my parents. Even in that situation, we can trust God to do what is right. As difficult as that may be, we can surely trust Him.