It can be tough saying good-bye. When we invest part of our lives into a relationship, whether it is a pet or a person or even a group, saying good-bye is difficult. But, saying good-bye is as much a part of life as saying hello.
You see, the human condition is one of starts and stops. In everyone's story there is always a "Once upon a time" or "In the beginning" and at the end there is "The end." There is no person in the world who can avoid either of these two circumstances. Some beginnings are quite easy and others are quite hard. Some endings are easier than others.
Take the disciples for instance. They had to say good-bye to Jesus. This is a man who was with them for at least three years. They had seen him perform miracles and he had been with them through the best and the worst of his ministry. Even after he died and rose again, Jesus stayed with them for 40 more days. He taught them about the coming Kingdom and tried to prepare them for what to expect. In Matthew 28, he commissions them to continue in the work He prepared them for. In Acts 1 he says goodbye and raises into heaven.
Life is a thing that must go on. Jesus could not stay if the work of the Kingdom was to grow. Within 40 years of his ascension it would become a religion of its own, not just a sect of Jews. In 300 years, it would become the official religion of the Roman Empire and in 2,000 years it would be the largest belief system in the world. But for this to happen, good-byes had to be said.
Good-byes mean change, they mean going a different direction. When a friend or loved one dies, we are in sorrow because of our loss. We miss their presence and the influence they have in our lives.
However, there is one instance where we never have to say good-bye. That is when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:20 he tells us "...Look, I myself will be with you until the end of the present age."
When we are in Christ, we never have to say good-bye to Christ and he never says good-bye to us.
Nor do we say it to other Christians. To other followers of Christ that we journey through life with, it is never good-bye. What we say is, "See you later." Because we have become children of the Everlasting God, we inherit eternal life in him. Death becomes a means of moving forward rather than something to fear and avoid. Christians who die in the arms of Christ are more alive than we are today. This is the promise Christ has given us.
Still, when we say good-bye, we need assurance that everything will be as God desires. You get that assurance in church. The fellowship of believers gathers to support and carry each other through those times where we question God's presence. At times of loss, the church is there to pray for us and lift us up. Before we say good-bye, the church is there to both celebrate the here and now and prepare us for the eventual good-bye.
While good-bye may be a negative, it isn't something to fear, for it is a part of life. As a member of Christ's Body, the church, we are never ever alone. Christ gives us the hope and that gives us the strength to say good-bye.
See you in church.
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