Action makes a difference

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Renewed hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Action makes a difference”

Within my circle of friends, I am one of four men who are all recent widowers. We are all in roughly the same age group (mid-50s to mid-70s), we are all Christians, and we are all professional men who still have a lot of life to live and a lot of good we can do for others.

One of the men lost his wife five years ago, another three years ago, for myself it was five months ago, and for the fourth it was only a couple of weeks ago. So, we’re all in different places on this journey of grieving the loss of a much-loved life partner, and then having to figure out how to continue living in a meaningful way. It has been helpful and therapeutic for me to have these friendships as we all try to help each other through perhaps the deepest valley in life that any man will ever have to walk through.

One important truth that has been reinforced for me by the two friends who are further along on this journey than I am, and which is also stressed by every grief counselor and in every book about the grief of losing your spouse is “You will get through this. It will hurt and it will be hard, but you will get through it.” Another important truth is “You have to live. You have to move forward in life. It is essential for you to take some positive, constructive steps every day to move forward. You have to grieve and move forward at the same time because if you don’t, all you are doing is grieving – and that becomes emotional quicksand.” That advice is essentially the practical application of Hebrews 12:1-2: Keep your eyes on Jesus and keep moving forward.

Those two important truths provide essential guidance for a grieving spouse, but they are also important truths for all of us and for life in general. Whatever it is you are dealing with, do something about it. Action makes a difference. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

This is where renewed hope comes from. Optimism is the belief that things can potentially get better, but optimism is often ill-defined and little more than wishful thinking. Hope is optimism plus action. Hope does something to make the situation better. Hope is having the will and then finding the way. It is perseverance through tough times that leads you to better times.

Today I told you about four men whose wives are now in heaven and the men are therefore in various stages of moving forward into the next season of life. Doing so in a healthy way requires action and perseverance. Tomorrow, I want to tell you about the four wives. They are four examples of action and perseverance applied in a different way and with a different, but inspirational, outcome.

The lesson for today is: Whatever it is you are dealing with in life, do something about it. Action makes a difference.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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