Carrying Around Death

Training for Today: Run 4 miles

Devotion: Carrying Around Death

Do you ever feel as though you’ve been carrying around death ever since your loss? While that may sound like a harsh question, here’s what I mean: do you feel as though people see you for your loss? The loss somehow becomes a label. We wear that label whether we want to or not, and we carry it with us into our interactions. And, the label somehow makes the people around us perform an interpersonal dance: Should I bring it up? Should I stay silent? What are the right things to say in a situation like this? When will this person (and our relationship) get back to normal?


We can’t erase these relational struggles, because we live in a sinful, imperfect, conflict-filled world. We can, however, reframe what it means to carry around death. Rather than an obstacle to communication, it becomes an opportunity to connect. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 4:10-12: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

While we carry around death in the sense that we’ve experienced loss, we carry around a death that has amazing eternal significance. We carry around the death of Jesus. Jesus’ death becomes our label; it says “Redeemed”. The verses above state that the purpose of carrying around Jesus’ death is so that His life may be revealed in us. We have the opportunity to carry His death, and our new label, into our interactions (yes, even the challenging conversations)!

Let’s reframe together. Let’s acknowledge the label of loss, but look at the conversations that result as opportunities to share the message of what we’ve gained from our relationship with Christ!

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me when I become impatient with well-intentioned support that leaves me feeling labeled. Fill me instead with the message of salvation as I interact with others. Empower me to share the “redeemed” label that your Son won for me on the cross! Amen.