Comforting One Another

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14But we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, that you would not grieve even as also the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so also those who have fallen asleep through Jesus, God will bring with Him. 

1 Thessalonians 4:18Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The father of a family who has been in contact for a decade had a kidney failure two weeks ago and later succumbed to his bodily weakness. I was traveling for the ministry literature distribution then. Only after I was back to Gurgaon I could visit the family. In fact, today we visited the family still in grief of the lost of their father.

Though we were ready to handle the burial and funeral service of the brother even when I travelled as I was about to I form the brothers for the same. Yet we were not fully given the ground to do so. This family being from a Hindu Brahmin background, they had to go along with the rituals after the death of their father, perhaps, due to family pressure. We had no say in the matter whatsoever. Neither were we consulted nor were we given any ground. Neither was the family regular for any church meeting or did they give us regular time to visit them. It was all left to their discretion and decision.

Nevertheless, as Christian brothers we visited them today and comforted them with the comfort of God. The Bible verses quoted above were read together and we enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship together. Though the pain of losing one's dear ones still gripped the entire family, we comforted them with the word of God and prayed for them.

Besides, we also encouraged them to pay heed to themselves who are still alive and that they need not worry about the one who was already gone. As the living ones, we must love the Lord and pursue the Lord, awaiting His return with the hope of being caught alive as Paul exhorted the Thessalonians.

We also gave them the opportunity to have a regular meeting at their house at their own will and time. Every believer is precious in the Lord’s eyes and we will shepherd the family as long as they are open to the Lord's shepherding.

Perhaps, this is the new beginning in their Christian life for the church life. Though they promised to open their home and start coming for the meeting, we look to the Lord for His shepherding. We trust the Lord will shepherd them to be established in the Christian faith and in the present truth to bear the Lord's testimony together as the church here in Gurugram. 

Lord, gain the whole family fully, reconstitute them for Your testimony.