Rise: When Resurrection Becomes Real

Dr. Melanie J. Coates
Mar 30
3 min read

Updated: Apr 1

Every year, this season reminds us of one of the greatest truths in human history:

Jesus got up.

But resurrection is not only something we celebrate — it is something we live.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead still raises people today.

It raises hope that has been buried under disappointment.

It raises faith that has been crushed by anxiety.

It raises purpose that has been delayed by fear.

And sometimes, before God moves us forward, He asks us for a holy redirection.

Sometimes God closes a door, shifts a relationship, changes our plans, or exposes something in our hearts — not to punish us, but to position us.

The resurrection teaches us something powerful:

What looks finished may actually be the beginning.

The disciples thought the story ended on Friday.

But Sunday morning proved that God was still working!

And if God can roll a stone away from a sealed tomb, He can certainly move the obstacles standing in front of you.

When Resurrection Becomes Real

When I was younger, whenever I went to a funeral and walked up to view the body, I would quietly whisper something under my breath.

I would say, “Get up.”

No one heard me but me and God.

It was a silent plea — a small, hopeful whisper from a heart that wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

I remember saying it when my grandmother passed in 2013.

And I remember whispering it again when I viewed my mother in 2025.

Standing there beside those wooden beds, I secretly wished they would rise up so I could hug them one more time… and say the things I didn’t get to say.

Now let’s be honest — if they had actually sat up, that would be the fright of life. But grief has a way of revealing what our hearts truly long for.

I wasn’t ready for them to go.

But as I’ve grown in faith, I’ve come to understand something deeper.

I don’t want them to rise here just to face sickness again.

I don’t want them to rise here just to struggle through financial pressures or the limitations of temporary bodies.

I want them to RISE in newness of life in Jesus.

And one day, when Christ returns, I want them to rise on that eternal last day when death no longer has the final word.

What This Has to Do With Mental Health

Grieving my biological matriarchs has taught me something important about the human mind. Sometimes we get stuck in earth’s thinking.

We rehearse dead things. We replay old conversations, old wounds, old disappointments, old fears — things that God has already called us to release.

In therapy language, we call this rumination — going over the same painful thoughts again and again until they begin to shape how we see ourselves and our future.

Spiritually speaking, it’s like standing in front of a tomb and refusing to leave.

But resurrection reminds us of something powerful:

Dead things are not meant to be rehearsed forever.

GOD CALLS US TO RISE!

That doesn’t mean pretending grief isn’t real. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain.

But it does mean refusing to let yesterday’s losses dictate today's joy or tomorrow’s possibilities. Because in Christ, new life is always possible.

Rising in Real Life

Resurrection living doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easy. It means we choose to rise no matter what life looks like.

We rise from:

negative thinking
old patterns
spiritual exhaustion
people-pleasing
fear of the unknown

Rising doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It means trusting that God is still working even when the situation hasn’t changed yet.

A Month of Rising

This April, I want to invite you into something intentional. Instead of rushing through the month, we’re going to practice rising.

Each day in the Peaceful Oasis Counseling Power to Rise Calendar, you will find a God-formation — a truth designed to shift your thinking and align your heart with God’s purpose.

Think of them as faith-anchored identity reminders that help move us from anxiety into alignment with God. Because healing, growth, and purpose all begin with how we think.

Read them, choose what resonates, and prayerfully repeat the truth to yourself.