Thought For Today: “Handling Grief”

Grief is one of those stressors we cannot control or prevent. We grieve not only for our own actions but also for the actions of others. We grieve because loss is a significant part of life. We grieve over the loss of a job, finances, a place to live, family, freedoms, and even our health, as well as the loss of a loved one.

If anyone understood this, it was King David. And David understood how deeply it damages our souls.

“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body.” (Psalm 31:9)

When grief overwhelms us, we shouldn’t throw a pity party, play the “what-if” game, or withdraw and isolate ourselves. Instead, we should do the following three things.

• First, accept what can’t be changed. I don’t want to be harsh or unfeeling, but our grief won’t change what has happened. What it does change, however, is how we respond and move forward.
• Second, take our grief to God. We aren’t to exaggerate it but to give it to God, because while pain is an inevitable part of grief, the Lord doesn’t want us miserable.
• Finally, focus on what’s left. We need to focus on what we have, not on what we’ve lost, because there’s still more ahead of us.

To ease our grief, the Lord has given us His Son, Jesus Christ, of whom the prophet Isaiah said He would console those who mourn, grant them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3).