Biblical Ways to Cope with Grief

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those whose spirits have been crushed.” - Psalm 34:18

The world is full of pain, sadness, and grief. We will all experience grief in this lifetime. The good news is that during the time of pain, sorrow, and grief, God promises to be with us and is our ultimate source of strength and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). We see His promise in Luke 22:42-44 when He gives Jesus strength in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked God to take away the pain He was about to endure. God did not take the pain away from Jesus, but provided Him with strength and comfort through an angel to get through it.

It is okay to grieve and be sad even if the world thinks crying is a sign of weakness. It is one emotion that God created to help us cope with grief. Jesus cried when His friend Lazarus died (John 11:32-36). It is a sign of being human and is a healthy way to cope with grief like losing a loved one, a job, or dealing with pain of an addiction. Ecclesiastes 3:4 states that there is a time for everything on earth including a time to cry and be sad.

God promises that one day there will be no more grief, pain or crying, but until then we can turn to these Bible verses to find comfort when we experience grief:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone.” - Revelation 21:4

“I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” - John 14:27

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

You are our source of comfort in times of grief. We will suffer from pain and sorrow in this world because it is broken due to sin. Help us to turn to You during those times. The grief we will experience in the world is temporary, but You promise to wipe our tears away and give us strength. We want to thank You for being with us during our times of grief. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!