Grief
Understanding Grief
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
What happens to us when we lose a loved one to death? We grieve. Grief is very natural when we are faced with the death of a loved one. There are many emotions in the grieving process. We may feel at times we are losing our minds and nobody could possibly understand. We just want to escape the pain of it all. The sorrow can be overwhelming. We may also become anxious, nervous or fearful or even be filled with guilt and remorse. Then we can become withdrawn or angry - possibly at the deceased for leaving us or at God. These are all natural emotions and part of the healing process.
With the death of a loved one most people will experience one of two reactions:
- They will draw closer to God for comfort or
- They will turn away from God in anger
Obviously, the wisest choice would be to draw closer to God, but not everyone does. In the beginning stages of grief the shock of trying to comprehend the loss can sometimes cause our emotions to outweigh our logical thought process. But, God is a God of comfort. He will always comfort us in our times of need when we seek Him.
We tend to think death should not happen, yet we all know deep down ’someday’ it will. Just not today. We are never quite prepared for it - even if our loved one is sick and their death imminent, it still rocks our world with confusion and despair.
As believers in Jesus Christ, Paul tells us to sorrow not as those who have no hope. We, as Christians have hope of seeing our loved ones again, of knowing they are with Jesus - in a much better place than we are. They are in heaven! They are rejoicing and praising God. That in itself can bring us great comfort.
Another aspect I would like to consider is how we deal with friends who have recently lost a loved one. I have heard it said the worst thing you can do is pretend like it never happened - or say nothing because of awkwardness and not knowing what to say. It is part of the healing process for the grief-stricken to be able to talk about the loss, to remember and honor their loved ones.
Let’s look at some good ways to help in this process. We should ask about their loss, ask about their pain, then be a good listener. But, if they are not yet ready to talk about it, don’t press them. Just sit with them and let them know you care. Try not to feel awkward but be sincere. Never minimize their loss. You can tell them about your own losses and how you felt about them. But make sure you don’t dominate the conversation with your experiences. It is all about the grieving person right now, not you. So, acknowledge their pain and let them know it will get better, with time and leaning on God for strength. Talk about how Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus - how He always shares our grief. Pray with them out loud. Don’t just tell them you are praying for them - do it right then and there. Prayer brings immediate comfort to a hurting soul. Let them know they are not alone and you will do whatever is needed to help them get through this time. Then do it.
Finally, make sure the person does not retreat for a long length of time. Ask them to share in activities with you. Help them to face the world again when they are ready. Let them know there is always hope in Jesus. A true friend is someone who will always point a hurting soul to the arms of Jesus. God bless.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1201 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Julia May or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1201 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.
Thanks for putting the above in there.
Thomas
With Much Love in Christ,
Dee
"Numbers 6:24,25,26"
that simple. Actually, in
my experience with terrible
grief, you turn toward God one day - and, the next, you're blowing raspberries at Him. One minute, I'm telling
Him how much I love Him,
and the next, I'm making
faces at Him. Oh - I
sincerely hope He's got
the patience and humor, that
I think He does!!
God Bless.