Grief encompasses so many feelings, and yet is something that seemingly everyone shies away from. It’s painful. It leaves you feeling raw and exposed. So why wouldn’t you avoid it? The biggest reason is that it can wreak havoc in your life when you don’t work through it.
You see, grief is not something you can just forget or get over. It is something you must work through, or it will pop back up in your life in crazy and confusing ways.
The Bible is full of descriptions of grief. In Genesis 6:6, when God saw the evil that mankind had resorted to, “it broke his heart.” Matthew describes Jesus grieving over the city in Matt. 23:37-39. And Isaiah 63:10 says, “When the people rebelled against God, it grieved the Holy Spirit.” We are in good company when we are grieving. God wants to comfort us in our grief. Psalm 34:18 assures us, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Grieving is not just for loss due to death. We grieve the loss of lots of things in our lives; divorce, dreams, jobs, etc. Lamenting is a way to express our grief, and God wants us to bring our laments to Him.
Grief also helps us have compassion for others. According to Peter Scazzero, “Embracing grief is the ONLY pathway to become as compassionate as Christ.”
On November 20, New Day will be hosting a Grieving Through the Holidays workshop. This is a great opportunity to learn how to process grief, learn about the grief journey, and learn ways to help others who are grieving.