BEING THANKFUL THROUGH GRIEF
DEFINITION OF THE WORD ‘GRIEF’. “Grief is the acute pain that accompanies loss. Because it is a reflection of what we love, it can feel all-encompassing. Grief is not limited to the loss of people, but when it follows the loss of a loved one, it may be compounded by feelings of guilt and confusion, especially if the relationship was a difficult one.” (Psychology Today)
STAGES OF ‘GRIEF’. In my preparation for writing this devotion, I read that there are stages that one goes through during ‘grief’. Some experts list 5 stages of grief, some list 6 stages of grief, others have 7 stages of grief. No matter how many stages there are of those going through grief, they all include Shock, Denial, Anger, Guilt, Sorrow & Depression, Acceptance, and Engaging Life. I do not want to debate how many stages of grief exist during the grief process. The only thing to acknowledge is that there are stages of grief that one has to go through. As a person who has lost a father, a mother, a child, and many other relatives and friends to an earthly death to their home in heaven, I agree that there is a grief process.
EXAMPLES OF ONE EXPERIENCING GRIEF IN THE BIBLE
2 SAMUEL 1:11-12. David just found out that King Saul and his son Jonathan were just killed in battle. David and his army mourned and wept and fasted all day after hearing of their death. David was visibly shaken. His actions showed genuine sorrow. He was not ashamed to grieve. Expressing grief can help us deal with our intense sorrow.
NEHEMIAH 1 & 2. Nehemiah was held in captivity in Persia when he heard that Jerusalem was destroyed. Upon hearing the news, Nehemiah sat down and wept. For days he mourned and fasted and prayed. He was a servant of the King of Persia (Artaxerxes) at that time and the king noticed that Nehemiah was depressed. Nehemiah told him the reason and the king asked what was his wish. Nehemiah asked permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. His request was granted by King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah’s grief led to rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem because his grief lead to action.
JOB 3. After Job lost his family & possessions, he admitted his grief before God and said “Why didn’t I die at birth as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11). His grief placed him at the crossroads of his faith. He was doubting his faith in and with God. Job was faced with 2 choices: 1. He could curse God and give up, OR 2. He could trust God and draw strength from Him to continue. By pouring out his grief to God, Job was being honest and open with his emotions before his maker. JOHN 11. This is the information regarding Lazarus’s death and Jesus raising him from the dead. When Jesus was told of Lazarus’s death, He went to see the family of Lazarus. Jesus saw the grief that the family and friends were going through, He was greatly moved in spirit and was troubled. And then ‘Jesus wept’. Jesus showed that He cared for this family. He expressed compassion, sorrow, and even frustration. He understood and witnessed their grief firsthand. Jesus wants us to talk to Him about our grief. We need to express our grief and sorrow to our Lord because He cares.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18. Paul in his writing to the church in Thessalonica touched on giving ‘Hope’ to those who were going through grief because they were looking at Jesus’s death as a finality of their faith. He tells them that YES, Jesus died but He rose again and that He will come again with those who have fallen asleep to gather His children and take them to glory. He goes on to say that we should encourage each other with these words ‘Jesus is Coming Again (Victoriously)’. Therefore, we should live with the hope of His return with great anticipation.
PERSONAL INSIGHT, REFLECTIONS, & APPLICATION
As we can see, grief is not limited to the loss of a loved one. A lot of people are currently going through grief that is associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. There is loss and restructuring of time, job status, independence, and the list go on and on. As believers in Christ, we have the hope of knowing that God has a plan and this pandemic is part of His plan. We have the hope of His return for His saints and His future victory and reign on the earth. It is imperative that we convey our hope to other believers who are doubting and to unbelievers that have no hope. We must be thankful to God for His perfect timing and the Covid-19 is part of His perfect timing. YES, we have the right to grieve, but the assurance of hope in God’s plan can ease the hurt of the pain while we are grieving. We can be thankful to God even while we are grieving knowing that He is in complete control.
Thanks for reading. Blessings from Carlton Ringer
