God Is Greater Than Grief

GOD > GRIEF

The past two years have been a difficult journey for me and my family.  In February of 2023 we lost my mother after her three-year battle with cancer.  In April of this year, we lost my wife’s mother after she battled cancer for nearly ten years.  It has been an 18 month stretch filled with grief, loss, and heartache.  Still, we trust in the One who holds tomorrow.  We still rest in the hope that we will be reunited with our sweet mommas one day because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  Yet, even with that eternal hope, navigating the fluctuating sea of emotions caused by grief and loss bring can be overwhelming.  Here are what I hope are some simple but helpful thoughts about grief and what God has to say about it.

First of all, grief is not wrong.  It is a natural process of life. In Ecclesiastes 3 God’s Word states that there is a time for grief and tears. John 11 gives us a picture of Jesus during a time of grief over the loss of a friend. And Paul understood that Believers would grieve when he encouraged the Thessalonians to not grieve as a hopeless world grieves, but rather remain grounded in their faith as they pass through times of loss.  So, grief is not wrong.  However, the way in which we allow grief and emotions to impact our lives can be unhealthy if we are not careful.

What causes us to experience times of grief?  So often that word is only associated with death.  But there are many other things in life that can result in a season of grief.  Deep hurt, regret, crisis, or disaster can all be triggers for feelings of grief or loss.  Because, at its core, grief is caused by the loss of something – a person, a job, a relationship, innocence, anything held dear.  There most certainly are varying depths of grief and loss but it is grief just the same.

Grief manifests itself in different ways from person to person.  With some it may look like anger or bitterness.  In others it may look like isolation or depression.  Truth be told grief will cause most people to experience a wide range of different emotions.  And those emotions can cause a person to turn to harmful substances, or other unhealthy behaviors.  There is no one, cookie-cutter process by which an individual experiences grief.  But regardless of how we experience grief, I believe there is a common answer – God and His Word.

The Bible gives us examples after example of people experiencing loss and grief.  In the book of Ruth, we see the Naomi and Ruth experience grief through different lenses - Naomi through the loss of a husband, and Ruth through the loss of perceived opportunity.  David Laments the loss of His son, Absalom, despite his son’s vengeful behavior.  Mary and Martha are grieved at the loss of their brother, Lazarus.  The Bible is full of human emotion and God did not shy away from the topic of grief in His Word.  Why is that important?  Because, during times of grief it is often easy for us to question God and wonder where He is.  Let’s take a look at three things that I believe can bring us comfort when it comes to God and dealing with our emotions.
 
GOD DESIGNED OUR EMOTIONS
Who better to trust with our emotions than the One who designed them?  Psalm 139:13-14 remind us that God the Creator formed us and knit us together.  When we have troubles with or car, our electricity, or our technology?  We call on an expert in that field – someone who understands how those things work and fit together.  Why then are we so quick to turn on or question God when it comes to our hurts, fears, and emotions?  God designed us. God loves us.  We can trust His heart and His Word when it comes to our emotions.
 
GOD EXPERIENCED OUR EMOTIONS
Who better to talk with about our emotions than the One who has experience them?   Philippians 2 says that God the Son, Jesus, “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”  He because fully human in order to save humanity.  Fully human means that Jesus experienced human emotions – joy, anger, sorrow, and yes, even feelings of loss and grief.  This is why the Bible tells us in that, praise God, we are not dealing with a Savior “who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus knows.  Jesus understands.  We can trust Him when we cry out to Him with our emotions.

GOD IS PRESENT AMIDST OUR EMOTIONS
Who better to comfort us amid our emotions than The Comforter.  In John 14:26, Jesus calls God the Holy Spirit the Comforter “will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”  The Holy Spirit is the presence of God that trust as His people to always be with us no matter what life may bring.  Through the waves of emotions that can crash over us, we can trust the one that commands the storms to “be still” and calls us to walk with Him.  Zephaniah 3:17 is one of my favorite scriptures to turn to and to share during difficult times.  “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”  Those words just bring a picture to my mind of a loving parent comforting a restless child.  The Holy Spirt guides.  The Holy Spirit comforts.  We can rest is the peace that only He can bring us.
 
There is certainly so much more than can be said about this topic.  But I pray these few, brief thoughts can encourage you as you navigate times of grief and sorrow.  God Bless.

-Jason Taylor
Worship & Youth Pastor