1 Thessalonians 3:14

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Many around us are paralyzed with fear. Today I learned a friend of mine hasn’t seen her mother in six months out of fear. I know of grandparents who have not been able to see their grandchildren for the same reason. Do you know of someone who is afraid of what is next?

What is next?

Ultimately what is next for each of us is a physical death. Whether it is by illness or accident or old age, each of us has a 100% risk of mortality. As some would shout – WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

But, there is a difference for those who follow Christ and others. Paul mentions it in the verse above when he speaks of those “who are asleep (dead).” He wants the individuals in the church at Thessalonica to not “grieve as others who have no hope” because we have Hope.

As Paul defended Jesus’ literal resurrection from the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, he says, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

When was the last time you gave the idea of what happens next some thought? What will it be like to experience the kind of change Paul describes? How will you respond to what is next?