A friend of mine recently experienced a horrible tragedy. As I dwelt inescapably on what had transpired, my mind wandered to the importance of taking advantage of the tragedies that occur in our lives. That may sound like a crude way of putting it, but let me explain. What I don't mean is that you should use the tragedies in your life as avenues of self-promotion. We all know those guys. Those are the people who tweet/post melodramatically after the friend of their cousin's acquaintance dies in a horrible car accident. Those are the people who find a way to make everything about them. They're no better than the class-action lawsuit lawyers who have the cheesy ads on TV. Never be one of those people (I sincerely hope this post doesn't come across as that type of post). What I am talking about is reacting to the tragedies that happen in our lives, whether to us, to a friend/acquaintance, or to someone in our communities, in a positive way, that is, in a way that promotes growth and the well-being of others. You see, God can speak to us in many ways, and one of those ways is through traumatic events. In His perfect Providence He orchestrates our lives in such a way that we learn and grow from the things we experience, whether they be positive or negative. Many of the events in our lives that seem negative, then, are actually great blessings. Here are three simple ways that we should react to tragedies:
1) Draw closer to God. This one is really applicable to every situation. Everything in our lives serves either to draw us closer to God or to pull us away from Him. Tragedies epitomize this dichotomy. They often destroy faith, but they can also be the catalyst to a new or deeper devotion to God.
2) Bless others. When tragic things happen to other people, we should find ways to encourage and bless those who are suffering. We can take a meal. We can pray with/for them. We can share the Gospel with them. We should be proactively seeking opportunities to bless those who are in any way involved in a tragedy. When tragic things happen to us, we should have the same goal. A Christian's response to tragedy is one of the most powerful tools of evangelism. Tragedies are opportunities to show the world the difference that Jesus Christ makes in our lives. With faithful Job in the Old Testament we can praise God, even amidst the bitter gall of pain and loss. Regardless of which side of a tragedy we occupy, we can use it to bless others. This may take some time for those who have experienced the tragedy, but it is nonetheless true for all of us.
3) Gain perspective. Last, but not least, tragedies should be a time for solemn reflection. This can be extremely difficult. The combination of "busyness" and emotional distress that attends tragedies can be extremely distracting and exhausting, but it is important that we reflect on heavier matters in this time. This is particularly true of tragedies that happen to people we know. We should ask ourselves, "Are my problems really that bad?" and "Are my priorities straight?" Then, of course, there's the cliche but eternally important "Where would I go if I died today?" that is featured on many evangelical bumper-stickers. People suffer horrific things every day. Someone is usually suffering something much worse than your broken-down car or chronic back pain. This is not to say that your problems aren't bad and that you're a bad person for being stressed out about them, but we must put our problems into the proper perspective. What's really important? This should lead us back to #1.
Tragedies are an unfortunate reality of life. Living in a fallen world means that we will all experience something that is painful and difficult. As a Christian, however, I can step back and see God's hand in everything that occurs as He repairs this broken world through His Son and the Holy Spirit. So tragedies are not a time to go numb or to lash out. They are, as painful as it might be, a time to move forward. As difficult as it might be to see, tragedies are part of God's plan to shape and mold us, and we can rest knowing that He is in control and that He loves us,
1) Draw closer to God. This one is really applicable to every situation. Everything in our lives serves either to draw us closer to God or to pull us away from Him. Tragedies epitomize this dichotomy. They often destroy faith, but they can also be the catalyst to a new or deeper devotion to God.
2) Bless others. When tragic things happen to other people, we should find ways to encourage and bless those who are suffering. We can take a meal. We can pray with/for them. We can share the Gospel with them. We should be proactively seeking opportunities to bless those who are in any way involved in a tragedy. When tragic things happen to us, we should have the same goal. A Christian's response to tragedy is one of the most powerful tools of evangelism. Tragedies are opportunities to show the world the difference that Jesus Christ makes in our lives. With faithful Job in the Old Testament we can praise God, even amidst the bitter gall of pain and loss. Regardless of which side of a tragedy we occupy, we can use it to bless others. This may take some time for those who have experienced the tragedy, but it is nonetheless true for all of us.
3) Gain perspective. Last, but not least, tragedies should be a time for solemn reflection. This can be extremely difficult. The combination of "busyness" and emotional distress that attends tragedies can be extremely distracting and exhausting, but it is important that we reflect on heavier matters in this time. This is particularly true of tragedies that happen to people we know. We should ask ourselves, "Are my problems really that bad?" and "Are my priorities straight?" Then, of course, there's the cliche but eternally important "Where would I go if I died today?" that is featured on many evangelical bumper-stickers. People suffer horrific things every day. Someone is usually suffering something much worse than your broken-down car or chronic back pain. This is not to say that your problems aren't bad and that you're a bad person for being stressed out about them, but we must put our problems into the proper perspective. What's really important? This should lead us back to #1.
Tragedies are an unfortunate reality of life. Living in a fallen world means that we will all experience something that is painful and difficult. As a Christian, however, I can step back and see God's hand in everything that occurs as He repairs this broken world through His Son and the Holy Spirit. So tragedies are not a time to go numb or to lash out. They are, as painful as it might be, a time to move forward. As difficult as it might be to see, tragedies are part of God's plan to shape and mold us, and we can rest knowing that He is in control and that He loves us,
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