Grief Is a Gift
By Rick Warren
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NIV)
Grief is, without a doubt, the most painful emotion we go through in life. It’s also the most helpful emotion. How is grief helpful to you?
Grief is God’s tool for you to get through the transitions of life. If you don’t grieve your losses, you get stuck. Many people are still stuck at age 14 or 28 or 45, because they didn’t grieve a major loss in their life, and they got stuck there. Not going through the grieving process leaves us with all kinds of anxieties and fears and low self-esteem.
Jesus never did anything wrong or unhealthy—and yet Jesus grieved. The Bible says he was a man acquainted with sorrows. The Bible says that, when his friend Lazarus died, Jesus grieved. He even wept!
Sadness is not weakness. In fact, the stronger you are, the more confident you are and the less afraid you are to show your emotions.
There are two unhealthy reactions to loss: One is repression, and the other is suppression. Repression is when you unconsciously try to block painful thoughts from your mind. Suppression is when you do it consciously. You intentionally say, “I’m not going to think about that hurt. I’m not going to think about that pain. I’m going to put my head down and move forward.”
To not grieve losses is a mistake. Why? Because grief is God’s gift to get us through the changes in life.
If you don’t let your grief out in healthy ways, then you’re going to act it out in unhealthy ways.
When you swallow your grief, your body rejects it. Doctors have said that a lot of illnesses that people have come from unresolved grief, regrets, and resentment. A lot of the pain in our backs or our aching necks is there because we hold emotions inside of us that God never intended for us to keep bottled up. He wants you to let them out through your grief.
Life’s losses are unavoidable, but grief is a choice. You have to choose to grieve. You have to embrace it so that you can move forward with hope.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Discover God’s Answers to Life’s Tough Questions!
What’s the best way to cope with stress? Rebound from failure? Defeat depression? Or have peace of mind?
Pastor Rick shares the answers to these tough questions and much more in his book God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions.
In it, Pastor Rick takes you to God’s Word for answers to twelve of life’s toughest questions, drawing from the examples of people in the Bible who faced the same challenges we face today.
God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions is our thanks for your gift to help reach more people through Daily Hope—so request your copy of this transformative resource when you give below.
Thank you for your support!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
