We naturally care for many things in this life and we don’t want to lose them. But, by faith, such losses are best seen as seeds – planting an eternal harvest beyond what we can even imagine.
Of course, any loss is still worthy of grief. And there’s no need to pretend we’re happy when sorrow comes our way. But faith teaches us to see these losses in light of eternity.
Peter and the early disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus. And Jesus said they would receive a hundred times as much in return. On the one hand, their loss was real and costly. At the same time, it was a type of seed planted for their future. And the same is true for us.
In God’s economy, no good thing is ever lost forever – whether possessions, money, relationships, or the like. To be sure, when we give, God gives back to us. We cannot out-give God. But this seed principle holds even as we grieve the loss of loved ones.
When David’s baby son died he knew that one day he would go to his son even though his son would not return to him. Love never fails. And our grief today is preparing us for that grand reunion still to come.
Whatever it looks like, we do not have to grieve like those without hope. Our losses in this life are seeds of hope – expanding our souls and allowing an eager anticipation of God’s eternal goodness to take root. And this gives us greater courage and peace as we face our various losses. We don’t have to desperately hold onto things or otherwise give into despair. Rather we learn to surrender like the farmer planting his seed in the ground – a momentary loss that brings an immeasurable harvest.
In the end, honor your losses. They matter. And remember also they serve as a type of seed – planting the hope of God’s eternal goodness in your soul.
Photo by Shlok Jethwa on Unsplash
