Have you ever wondered about the feelings of grief and loss, and whether it is right or normal?
GriefShare lists 156 common responses to the death of a loved one. Below, you’ll find the three broadest categories of emotion, in which you can place those reactions:
1. Sadness
Not surprisingly, to grieve at least in part, means you express sadness. In the Bible, we find encouragement regarding our sadness by looking at the following truths.
• Jesus experienced sadness (John 11:35-“Jesus wept”).
• King David who had faith in God that has lived on as an example for us, also struggled with grief in the form of sadness. Consider Psalm 13:
How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? forever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
• God created us in His image, and part of how we are made includes the feelings and expressions of emotion. God Himself experiences negative feelings. We see that in Scripture in the following encouraging ways…
2. Anger
Emotions of anger often accompany grief. You find this expression in the Psalms as well. Some Psalmists even projected anger at God. Reading over Psalm 44:23-26, you can feel the tension…
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
The Psalmist falsely accuses God, but the context of the Psalm is the cry of the heart for help. The faith is clearly there, even in the midst of the anger. He goes to God in the midst of the trial and pours out his heart before Him.
I remember one of the GriefShare videos referring to times when we have a complaint and go to the manager. Why? Because he/she is the one who can take care of the issue!
3. Fear/Anxiety
Next, a person grieving might feel anxious. You might think, well, I can picture such a person expressing sadness but why would they be anxious or fearful? A number of reasons…
• Worry about the future in terms of responsibilities, provision, and being able to manage
• Fear of death
• Anxious about spending time around people in the wake of a loss
• Spiritual concerns that might lead to worry
I recite several passages of Scripture that I deem most encouraging when it comes to issues with fear and anxiety:
1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.”
Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
2 Timothy 1:7: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Psalm 31:15: “My times are in thy hand…”
Psalm 13:5: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation” (NIV)
The focus in the above verses is on God and His love.
Hopefully the above points help is you seek to understand grief better and cope in a healthy way in your journey.
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The following page on this website delves more into a common question about grief:
For more on dealing with grief and loss by meditating on the Scriptures, visit...
https://www.encouragementscriptures.com/dealing-with-grief-and-loss.html
If you don't feel your grief is normal, Discover the 12 Aspects of the Grief Journey...
What Does Grief Mean? (encouragementscriptures.com)