Good Grief: The Benefits

Grief (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better (Eccl 7:2-3
KJV)



Good Grief. Sadly, despair hits us all, and when it does, we think, "What a stupid term good grief is. How can it be good?" Apparently, God believes this to be true.Wait a minute, you state (Yes, I know I'm schizoid and you didn't say anything), God wants us blessed. And that is exactly why grief is good. How? Let's consider.

1. Death comes to all of us. When someone we love or know casually dies, we will grieve. Therefore, we learn to not put off until tomorrow the encouragement and love we need to share today.
2. Discouragement plagues us all. We work hard, only to fail. But what happens because of failure? If we do nothing, it defines us. If we work harder, we will produce the good product we desired. J.K. Rawlings is renowned for stunning success after repeated failure. Colonel Sanders had his chicken recipe rejected 1,009 times before someone saw its merit. (http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/02/16/50-famously-successful-people-who-failed-at-first/)
3. It makes us humble. Think about the braggarts you know, famous or not. Does anyone like them? 
4. It heals us. My Ecclesiastes' scripture clearly states sorrow's healing qualities. What niggles our mind? Where have we failed? If we correct those, the weight the devil heaves at us dissipates and we become truly free in the Lord.

My own life illustrates it.

When I was a new Christian, I loved a man dearly. God seemed to indicate we would marry. Then one day, he broke up with me and started dating my best friend. Shortly after, he married her.

My grief and my loneliness drove me mad. Both were members of my church, and I had no place else to worship. One sleepless night I picked up my Bible. The tell me this book can heal my wounds," I told the Lord. "If that's true, please give me solace."

I read into the morning hours, and that day, scripture opened up to me in ways it doesn't open up to others. I grew in Jesus. My soul healed. I became a better woman.

Death. Desertion. Thwarted Desire. Let God into your life and heal.