Living Alone in the House of Mourning

-

 

Regularly talking and thinking about death is not pessimistic, but a realistic way of living. Facing the inevitable each day, for the Christians, is God’s preordained means to live a responsible life in this temporary world and to remind us of the future Great Haven that God has promised those who believe in Him. Being in the healthcare surgical industry (not as a surgeon, but as a medical device representative), I see pain almost every day in the operating theatres. This is what I like about my job, not that I take pleasure in the suffering of others, but it always reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 in my life: “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”. The thought of death must always be in the mind, even during the times of non-sinful pleasures. The living must lay the end of all men to his heart. As the saying goes: be ready to meet your maker. The heart is made wiser when that thought of death fuels us. The sadness of the countenance does not primarily speak about an emotional state of weeping or crying, but primarily about the high seriousness that one has regarding life, death and afterlife. “Don’t be so negative by always thinking about death,” Said many. Those who say that, are living in the house of mirth. They are not ready to meet their maker. This thought of death that Ecclesiastes talks about is far from a hopeless and godless life that leads to suicide, but rather this thought will lead us to an attitude spoken of in Philippians 1:21  “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Since COVID infection period in 2020, seven people in my family have passed away as of 12 March 2025. Starting with my maternal grandma and followed with my three aunties, 2 uncles and my eldest cousin. The smell of death is everywhere, and no one can avoid it. My time may soon come too. Yours too. All the plans you have planned for the next 30 years may become redundant anytime. Job 1:21  “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  Be ready to meet your creator. While it is not the time yet, live responsibly.

Living alone in the face of the inevitable is maddening for many. That loneliness could ravage one’s mind and body. Insanity and death would swiftly creep into a healthy man. A dear friend of mine for many years is unfazed by the possible consequences of living alone. He has no problems living alone and ready to do it. He always reminds me that there is no need to feel lonely and being overwhelmed by those negative emotions because we have Jesus as our Great Friend. I tend to put emphasis on the mind and thinking. Emotions are too emphasized in the church. Sermons are to be preached to the heart indeed, not just to the ears, however the heart has nothing to do with fleeting emotions. The heart has to do with the rational mind thinking and agreeing to the biblical propositions preached and read which consequently will lead to repentance and godly action. The hallmark of repentance or grieving for your sins is not emotional response like crying (though there is nothing wrong with that in itself), but it’s about the rational mind that thinks of and agrees to God’s Word and the heinousness of your sins. Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” As said in Phillipians 4:8-9, the key to living alone without those negative emotions overwhelming you is to keep the mind on biblical things even as we do our daily activities. The mind or heart is the control room of life. I live alone and will die one day, it is just a matter of time, but that does not detract me from living life responsibly as commanded by the Word of God.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:28 and Its Implication on the Doctrine of God’s Eternal Reprobation

-
  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his  purpose (Romans 8:28). This verse is most quoted for the Christian’s comfort and assures us that whatever circumstances we experience in our lives, God always works all things for the elect’s good, who are called to the unmerited salvation of the soul since before the foundation of the world for the glory of His grace. The lack of understanding of this verse causes some to lose faith when they encounter trials and tribulations. Even for the elect who is not justified yet in time (i.e. currently a hater of God, but a sure lover of God in the future), the glorious promise of Romans 8:28 is upon them because the goodness of God will lead him to repentance according to His perfect timing (Romans 2:4). His goodness will never separate the elect from the love God. The universe exists for the good of God’s elect and ultimately to manifest the glory of God. " For I ...
Read more

The Origin of Moral Evil as Revealed in the Word of God

-
  This article is an expansion of my previous article “A Brief Thought on the Origin of Moral Evil”.    The origin of moral evil has baffled many Christian theologians throughout the ages. For many years, I have been thinking much about the topic of theodicy. If God is good, why is there evil? Many Christians concluded that God is the creator of everything except sin or moral evil because the infinitely good God cannot be involved with sin in any way. Satan and man are the sole causes, founders, and creators of sin. For many Christians, that’s the safety mark. However, I am not satisfied with that cowardly answer. I heartily agree with the famous Christian Counsellor, Jay Adams, who laid out the most basic theodicy question in his book “The Grand Demonstration: A Biblical Study of the So-called Problem of Evil”:   “To say that all evil is the result of the fall of Adam is perfectly true—but piteously inadequate. That response merely moves the question back...
Read more

Jesus’ Doctrine of Particular and Limited Atonement

-
  It is common for Christians to believe that Jesus died for all men without exception. From the time of Adam until the end of time, Christ died for every single person bar none. Jesus died for people who were already in hell like Pharaoh and Esau, bound for the lake of fire which is the second death. Jesus also died for Judas Iscariot, becoming the Propitiation for his sins (1 John 2:2), yet he still goes to hell and is bound for the lake of fire to face the wrath of God? ( Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary: To propitiate is to appease, to atone, to turn away the wrath of an offended person. In the case before us, the wrath turned away is the wrath of God; the person making the propitiation is Christ; the propitiating offering or sacrifice is his blood). Something seems strange. It’s either Christ’s death fails to propitiate for the sins of some, or there is a fatal flaw in their scriptural interpretation. I am sure that it is the latter. God is loving, gracious a...
Read more