“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”
Mourning is the natural reaction to the loss of something loved or treasured deeply like a friend or family member, a pet, a prized possession, good health, etc.
When Mary and Martha were mourning the loss of their brother Lazarus, Jesus says (John 11:25-26): "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" What a question! And what an answer Martha gives: "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Martha, in her time of mourning, still had faith. Martha also had perspective – a consequence of faith.
The last year has been rough. Everyone has mourned the loss of something: vacations, family gatherings, holidays, weddings, jobs, school, health, freedoms that used to be taken for granted. Some, like Martha, have lost loved ones.
Think of the outstanding characters of the Bible: Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Job, Daniel, Esther, Paul, etc. Who was defined by the faith they showed when times were easy, when there was no opposition, when they hadn’t lost anything important to them? Having faith and acting on that faith through adversity is what defined them.
Listen to what is said about them (Heb 11:13-14): “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.”
That’s perspective. This world is not home for those whose faith in Jesus. (Colossians 3:2) “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
The second key to happiness: the perspective that, no matter what is lost in this life, comfort can be found in the eternal promises of Jesus.