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Respond Well

Loss can be a very painful thing to deal with and process. Whether it’s losing someone that you love or being laid off from your job, it takes a toll on you. The reality of loss is that we are not in control of the when, what, how. The only thing we are in control of is how we choose to respond. We must respond well.

Responding well is acknowledging that we have experienced a loss, owning and sitting with the feelings associated with the loss, and allowing ourselves to enter into a necessary space of grieving, all while holding firmly to our view of who God is, and who He has always been. This is exactly what Job did.

In times of loss, life can get foggy. Our view of God can become blurred as we ponder thoughts like, “why did God allow this to happen to me?”, “If God loves me, how did I end up here?” Job must have thought this and more after losing so much in such a short window of time. Despite the magnitude of his hardship and trials, though, Job responds in a way that exemplifies maturity and honors God. His response was:

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,

and naked I will depart. The LORD gave

and the LORD has taken away; may the

name of the LORD be praised."

A powerful lesson is on display here: responding well starts with a proper perspective. Job's response to being stripped of everything he owned and loved starts with, “Naked I came and naked I will depart” (perspective) and ends with “may the name of the Lord be praised” (responding well). In other words, “I lost it all, but I still have God, and that’s enough”.

Here’s the challenge for you: Commit to not allowing hardship to rob you of your honor for God. The next time tribulation comes crashing in, remember to respond well.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, no matter the circumstance I face, I will respond by blessing your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.