As Christians, we know that death isn’t absolute. Thanks to Jesus, we understand that death is only a means to an end; life everlasting in Heaven. Despite this, losing a loved one is a catastrophic roller coaster of emotions and can be difficult to navigate on our own. Grief is mentioned throughout the Bible and God has given us guidance on how to traverse through it in His Word.
The grief we experience losing a loved one is a painful but necessary tool that can be used to strengthen our spiritual health. It is important that we learn to utilize our grief in a Godly manner in order to understand that out of crisis comes change. We can harness grief to bring about change, healing, and a deeper relationship with God.
When we consider change, let’s also consider Matthew 5:4 where Jesus stated “Blessed are those who mourn.” In this passage, Jesus refers to those who view themselves introspectively would discover reward through change. Jesus encourages us to reflect upon our lives, and without introspective, we would be unable to participate in God’s grace. Grief and loss force us to venture within ourselves to find deeper meaning in our relationships with others and with God.
Hosea 10:12 “Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground: for it is time to seek the Lord until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.”
Grief and loss are able to be used as a tool to instigate healing. Mankind was created to be perfectly unified with each other and God; due to the fall, we became out of balance with this connection because of sin and came to experience grief. Man was made to experience love, not grieving. Our deepest desire as humans is to experience pure, everlasting love which we can only begin to understand through our relationship with God. God uses grief and loss to help us better comprehend our natural requirement for perfect love; grief and loss can allow us to lean toward God and feel His Grace
James 1:2-4 reads, “Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James isn’t telling us to ignore the grief and loss we may face in our tribulations. Instead, he’s telling us that the trials we face are a temporary part of the larger plan that God has designed for us! Throughout Scripture, passages like this contain the godly guidance we so desperately crave as we overcome loss and grief.
Loss and grief are but tools that strengthen ourselves and our faith in God. NuWell Christian Counseling is prepared to assist you in navigating your time of grieving by using guidance provided in the Bible like the passage above. NuWell can help you to understand these guiding scriptures and help you bring about change, healing, and spiritual wellness.
