10 Ways to Deal with Grief

Presently the world is dealing with so many uncertainties due to pandemic, racism, violence and insecurities. Different emotions spring up and grief is the top of the list because people have lost loved ones, colleagues and friends. When grief is experienced, people tend to question themselves seeking answers.

Questions like….

• What is the best way to grieve the loss of a loved one?
• Will I ever experience happiness again?
• Why did God allow this to happen to me?
• How do I cope with grief?

Grief is part of life that people are likely to experience at different stages of life. Dealing with grief takes courage, tenacity and total dependence on God. God has the best plan for you.

10 ways to help deal or cope with grief

1. Remember that amid everything you face God is close to you. Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed”.
2. Surrender your grief to Jesus because He knows and understands your feelings. He felt it too Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief….” (NLT).
3. It is okay to cry…Yes, give in to the tears. Tears are not a sign of weakness but it shows that we are human. Let it out. Release yourself to the love of God. 1 John 4:16 “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.” (NLT).
4. Tell God to take away the pain and comfort you, He will as He promised in His word Psalm 147: 3 says “He heals the brokenhearted, and, bandages their wounds. God works in you and takes away the pain”. (NLT)
5. Keep discussing your feelings with Him even though He knows how you feel. You need to still express it to Him in words. Sometimes, God even sends people your way to help in the time of grief. He has promised us grace to help in our time of needs as seen in Hebrews 4: 15-16 “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (NLT)
6. Watch the things you say during the time of grieving so that we do not bring condemnation to ourselves because of our words. Sometimes we might be angry with ourselves and think we are at fault thus say negative things. “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger^[g] does not produce the righteousness God desires”. – James 1:19-20.
7. Take comfort in God and not in food or alcohol.
8. Don’t shut people out. It might be helpful to talk to family or friends even your pastor about your feelings.
9. During the time of grief healthy eating, rest and exercise are important in the healing process. Our physical and mental health including our spiritual well being should not be neglected. This is the time to get closer to God not away from Him.
10. Dwell on the happy moments and take comfort in the fact that God is faithful and can see you through the storm. This too shall indeed pass.

Reference: Hospice Care of the lowcountry, 2018. The Myth Of Grief. [image] Available at: <https://hospicecarelc.org/the-myth-of-grief-it-isnt-something-you-get-over/> [Accessed 17 June 2020].