Southern Missionary Baptist Church

As you rebuild your life after the loss of your loved one, you’ll want to be sure that you are building on a solid foundation, one that supports you no matter what lies ahead.

Throughout the GriefShare program, you will hear people talking about the importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ in healing from the deep pain of grief. In fact, you will hear it said that you cannot fully heal from grief without the power of Christ in your life.

Please read the information on these pages carefully. It will show you how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and how this relationship can make a real difference in your life as you heal from your loss.

You tend to “orbit” around certain people, things or events in your life. They are the relationships, possessions and circumstances you value most. They give meaning to life and bring joy to you.

Here are some examples:

• Husband or wife
• Job
• Children
• Financial resources
• Favorite activities
• Houses, cars and possessions
• Friends
• Health

Take a minute and list the people or things that your life revolves around. It may be one thing or a combination of items.

In our solar system, planets have a predictable orbit because the sun is a stable gravitational “center.” Imagine what would happen to those planets if the sun suddenly disappeared.

Now look at your list comprising the things at the center of your life. Which are permanent (cannot disappear or be lost)?

Most things in your life can disappear. A husband or wife can leave the marriage or die. Your financial conditions can change suddenly. Possessions break, rust and wear out. Your health can deteriorate. When these things happen, your “orbit” will disappear as well, sending your life into an emotional tumble.

In the end, only one thing is permanent. Your relationship with God, if you have one, cannot be taken away. Because this relationship with God is so critical to your stability, it’s important to know for sure that you have the kind of relationship with Him that will ensure He is permanently in the center of your life.

How can God become the center of your life? The first step is to remove a major barrier between you and Him.

The Bible says that our sins separate us from having a relationship with God. Sin is disobeying God’s written commands. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. It also says that the result of sin is death (separation from God). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23 NASB).

Your sin keeps you from God. Many people try to “earn” a relationship with Him by “being a good person” and “doing good things.” But notice in the verse above that eternal life is a gift. It cannot be earned. You must receive it from the Giver. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

If you can’t overcome your sin and earn a relationship with God, how can He become the center of your life?

The Bible says that Jesus Christ removed the barrier between God and you by dying in your place. He paid the price for your disobedience. Romans 5:8 puts it this way: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It’s also important to realize that Jesus Christ is the only way to a relationship with God. John 14:6 reads, Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Maybe right now you ache for the stability, security and wholeness that come from having God at the center of your life. Once He’s there, you can access His power to help you heal from your grief. He can help stabilize your life’s orbit.

The first step is to believe that Jesus is God’s only Son. There is no other Savior. You cannot get to God except through Him. If you believe in Him, you can act on that faith. He can stabilize your life’s orbit.

The Bible says that each person must receive Jesus as personal Lord and Savior through faith. To do this, you must first realize that you are a sinner and repent of (turn away from) your sin. The Bible says, They should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (Acts 26:20).

Receiving Jesus through faith means trusting Him alone as the payment for your sin and surrendering your life to Him. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

If you would like to surrender your life to Jesus Christ, here is a prayer you can pray.

Why not do it right now?

Dear Lord,

I know I have done things that are wrong. Please forgive me for these sins.

I invite Jesus Christ into my life as my Savior and Lord.

As my Savior, I ask You to save me from the effect of my sins.

As my Lord, I receive You as the center of my life and give You control of it.

Thank you for forgiving my sin and giving me the gift of eternal life with You.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

God’s promise to people who invite Christ into their lives is described in 1 John 5:11-13:

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

The Bible says your relationship with God through Jesus Christ can never be taken from you.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand (John 10:27-29).

If you invited Christ into your life, many things have changed. Look at what has happened.