COPING WITH GRIEF AND MINISTERING TO THE GRIEF-STRICKEN (17 OF 26)
by Stan Coffey
Scripture: I THESSALONIANS 4:13, II CORINTHIANS 1:3, MATTHEW 5:4
This content is part of a series.
Coping with Grief and Ministering to the Grief-Stricken (17 of 26)
Series: Issues of the 90's
Dr. Stan Coffey
II Corinthians 1:3; I Thessalonians 4:13; Matthew 5:4
INTRODUCTION: In spite of all the marvels of modern technology one thing all of us will experience in the 90's is grief. Grief is defined as a person's reaction to a loss. The greater the loss, the greater the grief. It may be the loss of a job or a friend, a pet or possession. It may be the loss of a loved one in death. The loss of a marriage relationship may cause grief as painful as death itself. Lies cannot fudge grief by outward appearances. A lady lost her husband through a tragic accident. Everyone at the funeral commented on the widow's bravery and courage. ''Only the Lord can give such victory,'' was the general opinion.
What people did not know was that the widow, a Christian, could not express her grief without feeling that she was letting the Lord down. After many months friends noticed that the widow had withdrawn more and more from her friends. When they began to talk with her they noticed that she was almost totally unresponsive. She was an example of many people who suppress the feelings of grief in an effort to ''be brave''. When you base your conclusions about others based on their outward appearance you may not be able to see their desperate need. Grief hides under many masquerades, it takes many forms. Underneath a smile there may be grief resulting in indifference, preoccupation, anger or any variety or emotions.
I. THE FACT OF GRIEF
A. Grief is a person's reaction to a loss.
B. Statistics reveal that grief-causing sorrow affects 10 families out of every 250 each year in America.
C. Grief which is not dealt with properly can cause us to loose our perspective on life.
D. Biblical examples of grief
1. Jesus- Isaiah 53:3, John 11.
2. Jacob-When he thought that Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts ''tore his clothes and mourned for his son many day.
3. King Dav ...
Series: Issues of the 90's
Dr. Stan Coffey
II Corinthians 1:3; I Thessalonians 4:13; Matthew 5:4
INTRODUCTION: In spite of all the marvels of modern technology one thing all of us will experience in the 90's is grief. Grief is defined as a person's reaction to a loss. The greater the loss, the greater the grief. It may be the loss of a job or a friend, a pet or possession. It may be the loss of a loved one in death. The loss of a marriage relationship may cause grief as painful as death itself. Lies cannot fudge grief by outward appearances. A lady lost her husband through a tragic accident. Everyone at the funeral commented on the widow's bravery and courage. ''Only the Lord can give such victory,'' was the general opinion.
What people did not know was that the widow, a Christian, could not express her grief without feeling that she was letting the Lord down. After many months friends noticed that the widow had withdrawn more and more from her friends. When they began to talk with her they noticed that she was almost totally unresponsive. She was an example of many people who suppress the feelings of grief in an effort to ''be brave''. When you base your conclusions about others based on their outward appearance you may not be able to see their desperate need. Grief hides under many masquerades, it takes many forms. Underneath a smile there may be grief resulting in indifference, preoccupation, anger or any variety or emotions.
I. THE FACT OF GRIEF
A. Grief is a person's reaction to a loss.
B. Statistics reveal that grief-causing sorrow affects 10 families out of every 250 each year in America.
C. Grief which is not dealt with properly can cause us to loose our perspective on life.
D. Biblical examples of grief
1. Jesus- Isaiah 53:3, John 11.
2. Jacob-When he thought that Joseph had been torn apart by wild beasts ''tore his clothes and mourned for his son many day.
3. King Dav ...
There are 7606 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
