What If We Lost Everything? A Reflection for Christians

The fires raging through Los Angeles have left countless families devastated. Homes, businesses, and memories built over a lifetime have been reduced to ash in a matter of moments. Watching the footage and hearing their stories stirs a question in my heart: What if I lost everything? How would I, as a believer, respond to such overwhelming loss? What would sustain me? And for those who do not know Christ, how do they process this level of devastation?

?The Non-Believer’s Perspective

?For the non-believer, losing everything may feel like the ultimate defeat. If life is built upon possessions, success, or relationships, what happens when those things are stripped away? The loss can lead to despair, anger, or a desperate attempt to rebuild, often without hope or peace.

?Ecclesiastes 2:11 comes to mind: “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Without an eternal anchor, the loss of possessions and achievements reveals the fragility of building life on temporary foundations.

?For the non-believer, such events may provoke questions about the meaning of life, fairness, and the existence of God. They may conclude that life is random or that God is absent. Without a Savior to turn to, their grieving process is often marked by hopelessness or a frantic search for something to replace what was lost.

?The Christian’s Perspective

?As Christians, we are not immune to pain or loss. If I were to lose everything—my home, my belongings, my sense of security—my first reaction might be grief, confusion, and even fear. These are natural human responses. Yet, Scripture offers a deeper perspective, one rooted in the sovereignty and faithfulness of God.

?????? 1.? God’s Sovereignty Over Loss

Job’s story is a powerful reminder of how a believer can process loss. Job lost everything—his wealth, his children, and his health. His response?

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).

Job didn’t deny the pain, but he acknowledged God’s sovereignty. Even in suffering, he trusted that God’s purposes were higher than his understanding. Would I be able to say the same? Would I trust that God remains good and sovereign even in the midst of devastation?

?????? 2.? Faith in God’s Provision

Losing everything forces us to confront where our faith truly lies. Do we trust God for our daily provision, as Jesus instructed in Matthew 6:25-34? Jesus reminds us that God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. If He cares for them, how much more will He care for His children?

Losing everything could become an opportunity to live out Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Faith in God’s provision would mean trusting Him to meet not only physical needs but also the emotional and spiritual needs that arise in loss.

?????? 3.? Holding Loosely to Earthly Things

Losing everything reminds us of the temporary nature of life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-21:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Would I still believe this truth if my treasures on earth were gone? This kind of loss calls us to hold loosely to earthly possessions and to anchor our hope in the eternal inheritance we have in Christ.

?????? 4.? A Witness to the World

Finally, how we handle loss can be one of the greatest witnesses to the unbelieving world. If I respond with faith, peace, and trust in God’s goodness, it testifies to the reality of His presence in my life. 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us to be ready to explain the hope we have, even in suffering. Our response to loss can point others to Christ.

?Would I Be Faithful?

?This is the heart of the question: Would I still trust God if I lost everything? The truth is, I don’t know how I would respond until it happens. But I pray that my faith, rooted in God’s Word and the promises of Christ, would sustain me.

?? ??????? I pray that I would echo Habakkuk’s words:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

?? ??????? I pray that I would cling to the truth of Romans 8:28:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

?A Word to Those Who Have Lost Everything

?If you’re reading this and you’ve experienced devastating loss, know this: God sees you. He understands your pain. Psalm 34:18 reminds us: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

?Lean into Him. Cry out to Him. It’s okay to grieve and ask hard questions. God is big enough to handle your doubts and fears. But remember, He is also a God who restores. While your circumstances may be painful, His presence is constant, His promises are unshakable, and His love never fails.

?Conclusion: Losing Everything, Yet Having Everything

?As Christians, we have a unique hope that transcends loss. Even if we lose everything, we have Christ—and in Him, we have everything.

?Paul writes in Philippians 3:8:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

?If I lost everything, I pray I would remember this truth: Christ is enough. No fire, flood, or tragedy can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). That is the hope I cling to.

?Reflection Questions:

?????? 1.? What possessions or comforts do you tend to rely on more than God?

?????? 2.? How would you explain your hope in Christ to someone who has lost everything?

?????? 3.? What Scriptures can you memorize now to prepare your heart for unexpected loss?

Life is fragile but there is eternal hope in Christ alone.?

-BD

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