Grief is Not Weakness
When Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" -JOHN 11:32-36 NKJV
When you were a child, you may have needed a parent to sign a permission slip for you to go on a field trip with your class. As we get older, we realize life no longer comes with permission slips. But we often feel like we need permission to make certain choices or feel certain things or even share our deepest emotions. With grief, we can be made to feel like our pain is too difficult to share and feel. But God gives us permission to lean into our grief, to share it with others, and to bring it to Him.
Grief can be overwhelming. If you are struggling with grief, you don't need to be afraid. Instead, gather your courage to spend a moment with God. Take a deep breath in, then exhale. Shift your focus to God. He is waiting for you.
Loss is part of life. Accepting and processing your grief is part of the healing process. You don't have to pretend everything is fine when it isn't. It is okay to feel and express sorrow when you are grieving. As we are reminded of in today's Scripture passage, Jesus knew He would resurrect Lazarus, and still He wept. Even knowing He would see His friend again, He mourned the loss. Through this action, Jesus taught the acknowledgment of emotion-the acceptance of allowing yourself to feel what you are going through. Give yourself permission to grieve. It is okay to experience the emotions of the moment, to allow those emotions to pass through your heart. Jesus felt emotion; so can you.
Remember, Jesus wept. Give yourself permission to grieve. The Lord will comfort your heart. Experiencing grief and acknowledging its existence does not make you weak. Everyone grieves in different ways. You are not alone. Jesus sees you and will help you every step on the road to healing.
PRAYER:
Jesus, I give You praise, for You understand my grief. You have intimate knowledge of my sadness. I exalt You because You see my pain and You care for me. I worship You, God, because although You are great, You never belittle my suffering. I praise You because You are the everlasting God, yet You know me. You do not faint or grow weary. Your Jove and kindness toward me will never cease. When I struggle to feel my grief, You are patient with me. I'm sorry that I sometimes doubt Your concern for my grief. Help me to trust You more. Lord, thank You for setting the example for how to experience emotions. You felt pain and heartbreak and let it show on Your face. Thank You for letting me do the same. I know You are here with me and that You are listening. I know You see my suffering. I am not alone. Help me to feel Your presence in this time of sorrow and pain. Please give me an extra sensitivity to the presence of Your Spirit. Help me accept my emotions and allow myself to feel what I'm feeling. Amen.
This is an excerpt from Pray: Daily Moments to Quiet Your Mind and Center Your Soul – a devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.
