Healing Takes Action (60min)

Review

Grief is not optional. It’s not just about death… It’s about loss.

If we choose not to grieve, or to speed through it, we will reap sinful consequences.

Hope must be Held Onto

Christian Grief Remembers Hope

Hope has a healing factor

The Hope of Jesus carries us through life’s most difficult trials.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 ESV

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

I Must Heed God’s Word

Let’s take a look at the words of Jesus.

Matthew 4:4 ESV

But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Jesus is telling us right here that our deepest needs can’t be found on Maslow’s Hierarchy. Even more than a good diet and nutrition, we need Jesus. What He’s also telling us is that we are not limited by the material needs of our bodies. Rather, we are made for so much more.

That’s when He brings up the fact that we must live on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

FROM… GOD

The object at hand is the Word of God. It’s important to start with that definition before we go any further. Everyone who’s been around church for a while should know right offhand what Jesus means here. He’s speaking of the Word of God as in Scripture. Scripture, the Bible, is the Word of God.

When Jesus was speaking, there was yet to be a New Testament, but the Old Testament, Jesus affirmed over and over again as Scripture.

LIVE BY

Then, the next thing I want us to look at is this idea of living by the Word of God. This is your most vital sustenance, Christian. It’s not the pork chop you had for dinner last night. It’s not the crockpot you’ll dip out of after service today. It’s His Word. That is what sustains your living being as a Christian.

EVERY

In saying that we are to live on every word, Jesus is telling you and me that there is no word which comes from God that is not life-giving and vital to the Christian. As a matter of fact, ALL of God’s Word is what we are to live by. We don’t pick-and-choose the Scriptures we live by. Rather, we submit all of us to all of God.

Now, understand when I say that we submit to all of God’s Word, there’s a caveat there. There are certain things in the Old Covenant that are no longer directly applicable to believers in Christ. That was a covenant for another time. That’s why I could mention eating a pork chop just a moment ago. We were given freedom in Christ in regard to certain Laws in the Old Testament. With the price of beef being so high, praise God for pork.

But back to the point… Understanding that we are to live in submission to God’s Word is vital. It’s not an option. If we are to seek God in the midst of troubling times, we must see what His Word has to say to our situations! And it does have much to say about our situations.

I Must Not Be Passive

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

One of last week’s scriptures. To be sure, this is NOT merely a passive verse. Our waiting upon the Lord ENABLES us to active pursuit.

In Scripture, there’s this tension between accepting our circumstances and taking godly action that we must walk in.

The question often comes up: “How much is God responsible for, and how much am I responsible for?” The answer is, “Yes.” God is sovereign, and you are responsible for your actions. Both can be true. It’s not either-or. It’s both-and. Sure, it’s a mystery. Sure it makes your eyes twitch. But when we look at Scripture, notice how much God’s Word tells us about waiting on Him… And just as much, notice how the Bible exhorts us to do things that honor God.

Micah 6:8 ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

This is an active obedience of deciding to follow God. It’s a command. It’s not passive, it’s how we ought to orient our lives. The reason I bring this up is because oftentimes, when we undergo grief, or anything that causes us to lose heart, we find ourselves in a very passive state. And we have to remind ourselves that even in the midst of a trial, we are to be actively obedient.

So find ways to engage in obedience, even in the midst of sorrow. You may only be able to engage in small acts of obedience. That’s okay, God understands where your heart is. Those small steps of obedience in the midst of grief are His Holy Spirit at work in you.

The reason we do this is because a spiritual passivity will lead us into sin. Spiritual passivity makes excuses for drifting from God. Spiritual passivity just says, “eh, whatever, I can take my moment to drift. I’ll make up for it later.”

I Must Own What’s Mine

I’ve spent some significant time over the last few weeks in this series and in the Philippians series speaking about how we deal with circumstances that arise in our lives, and I’ve talked about the importance of receiving our circumstances.

Let me reiterate. In order to ground ourselves in reality and follow Jesus to the full, we must recognize and receive our circumstances. And this is true for so many times in life when things happen to us externally. But what I’d hate for us to do is to assume that ALL circumstances are beyond our responsibility. Sometimes we have to come to terms with the fact that some of our circumstances have been brought on because of our decisions.

And while those circumstances may be brought about by what’s happened in the past… We have to come to terms that our decisions often influence the circumstances we find ourselves in.

For Christians, we have every reason to be hopeful about the future, because we know the One who holds the future in His hands! And He has told us He is for us. And knowing that the God of creation has called you His own should give you what you need to carry onward.

If you haven’t seen America’s Got Talent in a while, I was made aware of a singer with an amazing testimony. 30 years old, and she’s already on her third round of cancer. She’s been given a 2% chance of making it to the other side of this cancer alive. This woman did not choose for cancer to strike her. Not even once. And her response to the judges on America’s Got Talent when they asked her how she is after finding out she’s got cancer in all kinds of places was, “It’s important that people know I’m so much more than the bad things that happen to me.”

Turns out this young woman is a follower of Christ, and in the midst of cancer returning over and over again, she chooses to praise the Lord. This post was shared this morning on a newsletter I receive:

I see mercy in the dusty sunlight that outlines the trees, in my mother’s crooked hands, in the blanket my friend left for me, in the harmony of the wind chimes. It’s not the mercy that I asked for, but it is mercy nonetheless. And I learn a new prayer: thank you. It’s a prayer I don’t mean yet, but will repeat until I do.

This singer, given the worst news, living through difficult trial of life and death, responds by utilizing her gift of song for the Lord. His glory, His love, His purposes. This is the kind of action that results in our spiritual grip on reality and healing through difficult times. She can’t control cancer. But she can control her response in the midst of it.

Understanding this, then, it is important how we interpret these next two passages of Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Romans 14:12 ESV

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Both of these scriptures show us something about following God. It’s not a passive act. It takes ownership. It takes saying, “You know… With all of the decisions that I am given responsibility for, I will seek after God and the things that please Him!”

And the truth of it all is this: Jesus did all of these things. One particular passage where I think all of these aspects of seeking God in the midst of a difficult circumstance is this:

Luke 22:39–44 ESV

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

The anxiety of Jesus was so great that he literally sweat blood.

Helping Others Through Suffering

Bear One Another’s Burdens

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

The burdens in view here are the things which would overwhelm us if we were to try to carry them alone. Now look, it’s just like real life. Some are stronger than others. At times, we all need someone to help carry the load. When you stumble on the trail and hurt yourself, you have enough burden just carrying yourself. You need someone to take your gear.

This, Paul says, is fulfilling the Law of Christ. Whoa. Remember how this whole book we’ve been talking about being free from the Law of the Old Covenant? Paul just drops a casual by-line that sums up how the Galatians are to view their relationship to Law. It’s no longer Law of the Old Covenant. It’s Law of Christ.

Paul puts it in the imperative mood here… That means it’s not a suggestion, it is a command. So by bearing the burdens of your brothers and sisters in Christ, you are doing the commands of Scripture. Christian, if you see your brother or sister struggling to carry the load of walking with Christ because of some event or difficulty or trial or struggle, you cannot sit idly by and just watch! You cannot just be passive about it! You cannot say, “Oh, that’s their problem, not mine.” Your call is to help them bear their burdens!

I’m speaking about praying with those in difficulty. I’m speaking of serving others with practical needs. I’m speaking of sharing encouragement over coffee or a meal with someone who needs it. I’m speaking of finding practical ways to help those who are struggling with illness or a homebound situation. There are millions of ways to be obedient to this text… We have to get after it! Fulfill the Law of Christ!

If you want to be holy, serve one another, and don’t give up! Bear a fellow believer’s burdens!

Importance of Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

From God’s comfort, we can comfort others. God comforts us in our affliction that we may be able to comfort others. Now this begs an important question. How do we receive the comfort of God? Going back to what we spoke of a moment ago: we spend time in the presence of the Lord. This gives us the comfort and fuel we need to be able to comfort others well. So if you want to be a good help to others, what Paul tells us is that we need to have our steady hope and help in the Lord first and foremost.

Have you heard the story of the town baker in a time of famine? The baker labored intensely to make sure he made enough bread for everyone in town to eat. He wanted to make absolutely sure that no one went hungry. He would work himself to the bone and even go without meals to make sure that others had the opportunity to eat. However, one day, the baker didn’t show up to his bakery. The townspeople went looking for him. Came to his house, knocked, no answer. The baker had died of starvation. He was so busy feeding everyone else that he didn’t take care of himself. Shortly thereafter, the town began experiencing the effects of the famine because the baker was no longer a part of the community.

We must be sure to care for ourselves in the midst of caring for others. There is no substitute for your time with the Lord. You cannot hope to care for people without experiencing the care and comfort of the Lord.

So what does it look like to comfort those in need?

It Looks Like Gentleness

Those in suffering do not need a swift kick in the rear. They need a gentle presence to hear out where their suffering has brought them, and to receive support in the midst of great difficulty.

Remember, this is Fruit of the Spirit talk, not gifting talk. All of us are to exhibit gentleness when there is need. For some of us that may be easier than others. But yet, we are all called to show gentleness and to live with gentleness. This gentleness can be a great balm to someone in suffering. Like a pillow for the weary head, someone with a gentle spirit can bring great relief to the suffering.

Hospitality

Along with gentleness, there comes the gift of hospitality. Now, hospitality IS gift language, given to us in the Word of God. We are called to practice hospitality, however, whether it is our gift or not. Ancient Israel was also commanded to practice hospitality with the stranger and foreigner.

I like to think of hospitality as “communicating a sense of home.” In other words, you cause people to feel at home when they experience your hospitality. Hospitality can be expressed in many ways. Perhaps it is the way you communicate with someone. Asking good questions and listening in can be a very good showing of hospitality.

Inviting someone into your home can be a welcome sign of hospitality. As you invite someone to your home to escape a place of misery and suffering. Many just need some time away from their difficulty to be able to gather the necessary strength to fight another day.

Caring for someone’s basic needs can be a very important aspect of coming alongside someone in their suffering. Many times, we’ll gather meals and take them to someone who is dealing with hard times.

Food is a ministry.

-Katie Hackler

We do this to take care of something that often becomes hard in times of great difficulty.

Mercy & Compassion

Mercy and Compassion are vital to coming alongside the suffering. You know there are times in which someone, even if their suffering is self-imposed, needs mercy and compassion. Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus had on us? All of our suffering and our guilt rests squarely on our heads. And Jesus chose to see us as harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. We are in great need of mercy and compassion. And those suffering are, too.

Remember Job’s friends? No mercy there, huh? And oh, how wrong they were as they sought to diagnose and place blame for the horrible things that had happened to Job. They wouldn’t listen. They had a twisted mercy. They did not have a true compassion. They just wanted to be objectively right, without being there for Job.

Mercy and compassion start with relationship and care. When someone is suffering what they need in the moment is NEVER an exegesis of their sufferings, or the “why,” even when they ask. I’ve heard those asking why in the face of death. And the truth is, they’re not wanting to know the reasons for why the death happened. They’re just wanting to know that their suffering is not wasted.

Often, the “why” comes much later, but sometimes it doesn’t come at all. In the moments of intense suffering, the comforter must be present and a listening ear before they are a Job’s friend.

Speaking Truth in Love (Without Being a Jerk)

There does, however, come a time in which the believer must speak the truth in love to the suffering.

But there’s a need to do this without being a jerk. So much of this has to do with timing and relationships.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 ESV

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

“Be patient”

Believers, let’s be a people who are marked by our patience with those who are suffering. We have to remember that there is a time for everything. And immediately in the face of suffering is probably not the best time to offer correction or rebuke or some other form of blunt truth. So how do you know if someone is ready for the truth?

A few keys:

1. When they ask for it. Now, remember, this isn’t a response to a distraught “why,” but perhaps when someone asks your advice.

2. When your relationship allows for it. If you have an advisory type or mentor type relationship, that may allow for a sharing of truth in love sooner rather than later. If you have a strong relationship with this person in general, it may allow for that too.

3. When your heart is to help someone, you’ve thought through the best way to tell them, and you’ve bathed it in prayer. At that point, you are seeking to do right by the Lord in telling them. If they choose to be hurt in that moment, some of that will be on them.

4. When you can speak face-to-face.

When NOT to offer truth:

When your relationship does not allow for it.

When they’re in the midst of difficulty.

When it’s a half-baked attempt, and you haven’t prayed about it at all.

When you’re going to text someone about it.

We must speak the truth. In love can be the hard part. But you spend time in thoughtfulness and care and that can go a long way.

In doing all of this, let’s seek the Lord as we seek to comfort those who are suffering.