“…Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”~ Nehemiah 8:10

How do we handle death as Christians?

It’s a conversation many prefer to avoid, and even the word itself is often one we shy away from.
But death is a reality — one that each of us will encounter at some point in our lives.

Yet for the believer, it is a reality that should stir joy in our hearts rather than sorrow.
Why? Because we know we are not leaving this world for something worse — we are going to meet our Maker.
We get to sit at His feet, bask in the fullness of His presence, and worship alongside the host of heaven, singing praises to His holy name.

Still, the question remains:
How do we realistically handle death?
How do we respond to the news that a loved one has passed on to glory?

Do we grieve and mourn?
Or do we rejoice, knowing that another of our brothers or sisters in Christ has been set free from the brokenness of this world and is now reigning in glory with our Creator?

As painful and heart-wrenching as death can be, we as Christians choose to rejoice in the face of it, because we are assured of eternal life.

Scripture says:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

Until we truly embrace the understanding that death for the believer is gain, only then can we begin to walk in the reality of rejoicing — even in the face of death.

Of course, it’s easier said than done.
But we draw strength from the joy of the Lord —
The kind of joy that fills our hearts even in sorrow, the kind that reminds us that the sting of death has no victory over those who are in Christ.

We find comfort in this truth:
That for every loved one who dies in Christ, their story doesn’t end — it continues in glory.

Prayer: Lord regardless the painful sting of death, help me experience your overwhelming Joy. Help me draw strength from the joy you give.