Why don't Christians grieve like the rest of the world?

Manny Diaz

Myra and I are attending another Christian memorial service today; the husband of my supervisor Jan Diaza who was a faithful pastor named Manny Diaz. The service to day will include expressions of grief but it will also be filled hope. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NLT - 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

It has been almost a year since my own father was called to heaven. While at the funeral home the director called me to the side and asked, "Is your family particularly stoic?” I was able to share why we did not grieve like others. We all knew that my father was in heaven and that we would see him again either in our own deaths or when Christ returned just like He promised. Please join Myra and me in praying for Christ’s swift return to collect the rest of us.