EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s blog post is written by E W Tryens. I want to thank Liz for sharing with us a something we all experience.
For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1: 6–7 KJV.
Those Who Love Grieve
Throughout the Bible are examples of individuals who love or were loved deeply and passionately. Jesus himself wept when his friend Lazarus died and his sister confronted Jesus on His late arrival, saying, “ Were you here our brother would not have died.” ( John 11:21). We can hear and understand the grief of Martha and Mary!
Can Christians grieve a loved one, and remain in fellowship while dealing with sorrow and possible anger towards God for their loss? Emotions are not truth, only the Word is truth. Your emotional reaction to a situation is always under your control. God – who loves us– gave us love, compassion, joy, peace, courage, and other wonderful emotions; He also gave us the ability to grieve, be angry, sorrow, and more. He would not give us deep emotions without a way to control them. Our response to grief is always in our control.
You can grieve many different things, not just people but hope and other intangibles. Jesus was so grieved with Israel’s disregard for the law that He turned over the tables of the money changers.
Use Your Emotions as God Intended
Deep emotions are not wrong but must be used in a Godly manner. The answer is yes, not only should you grieve but you must grieve to heal. If you’ve ever had a cut that became infected, you drain it before healing begins; emotions are the same. You must experience grief to move on to a healthy grieving process. Christ is the Lord of our life which includes emotions.
For Those Who Grieve
While we live in a sinful world, grief will come to all of us. God has provided us with the resources we will need on our grief journeys. God our Father knows we need to grieve.
Lamentations is an entire book of the Bible devoted to grief .
My eyes are worn out from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief because of the destruction of my dear people, because infants and nursing babies faint in the streets of the city. (Lamentations 2:11 CSB)
Once again, Christ is the Lord of our life. Every part is subject to His love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can heal us by renewing our minds to the Word. We are not to grieve as natural men who are hopeless without God.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
There are stages of grieving:
- DENIAL I can’t have cancer
- ANGER I hate GOD
- BARGAINING If God heals me I’ll stop drinking
- DEPRESSION Life is awful
- ACCEPTANCE I control nothing
There are no rules with grieving. It can last for years. The important thing is you are involved in a process. Your grieving is taking you towards healing.
One step at a time.
