Stages
of Grief
John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled.”
These
favorite words of comfort from Jesus own lips have ministered to believers
over the years as they have faced grief. In speaking to His disciples on
this occasion, Jesus knew that He was facing immanent death on the cross.
His disciples may not have been sure what He meant by these words of the
fourteenth chapter of John's Gospel. What they did seem to know was, that
Jesus was preparing them for His departure from this earth.
We are never
ready to give up our loved ones in death. Death is always premature whether
it be an infant, child, young person, parent or even elderly grandparent.
God made us to adjust in stages to the death of our
loved ones. These stages of adjustment do not necessarily come in the same
order but normally we all experience them to varying degrees.
Some of the
steps of grief can be as follows:
-
Shock over the loss...
-
Disbelief that death has occurred...
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Denial that the loved one is gone...
-
Anger at God or others...
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Blame oneself or others...
-
Loneliness from the loss...
-
Readjustment and being able to move on with our
lives...
-
Crying and weeping may occur at any or all of the
above stages of grief...
-
Remember, it is all right to cry for one of the
most beautiful examples of Jesus life was that, “Jesus wept.”
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It takes time to grieve...
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Do not let anyone make you feel guilty for not
holding up and being strong during your grieving...
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Each person responds differently in their grief
process...
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God created you uniquely, so be your self in your
grieving process...
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Keep your focus upon Jesus and His words of
comfort, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe
also in me for in my Father's house are many mansions” John 14:1
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