'When the worst thing happens

When we are young we rarely think about or how fragile our lives really are. It's not that we ignore death; we just refuse to think about it in the context of our life. As we get older death becomes more of a reality for us. We understand just how quickly death can claim us.

This past Sunday I presented a lesson titled, 'When the worst thing happens." It dealt with the question of how we react as Christians when that terrible thing we dread happens in our lives. On Monday we took my wife to the emergency room with chest pains and had a chance to literally "practice what I preached." She is OK and at home now, nothing serious was found, but it does make you stop and consider the reality of death.

What does you future look like? How would you deal with the worst thing? The world, those outside of Christ, don't really have a hope do they. They are like the fellow in this little story:

It seems that there was a man who went to see his doctor for an annual physical.  After a while, the doctor comes out and says, "I'm sorry Bill, but we have discovered you have a condition which only allows you another 6 weeks to live."
 
"But Doctor," Bill replied, "I feel great.  I haven't felt better in years.  This just can't be
true.  Isn't there anything I can do?"  After a moment the doctor said, "Well, you might
start going down the street to that new health spa and take a mud bath every day."
 
Excitedly Bill asked, "And that will cure me?" "No," Replied the doctor, "but it will get you used to the dirt."

In my lesson this past Sunday I made the point that the worst thing that could happen to us; is not something of a physical nature. The worst thing that could happen to us is that we either don't have a relationship with God or have never given our lives to him. If that's the case, then we would be separated from him for eternity and that truly IS the worst thing that could happen.

Paul has this to say about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have NO HOPE For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." (NLT)

When bad thinks happen to you in your life, and from experience I can tell you that they will, just remember it is not truly the worst thing. If you are in Christ then you are not among those who have NO HOPE and don't worry about getting used to the cold dirt, it will be a lot hotter than that.

Russ Lawson

First Corinthians commentary:  Get the new First Corinthians commentary from www.abiblecommentary.com.  Preview the First Corinthians commentary through Google books at http://bit.ly/dfw86d.  Other Bible commentary material from www.abiblecommentary.com includes a FREE on-line Romans commentary:  http://bit.ly/3MRU5I