How can you be blessed when your heart is breaking? God's word in Matthew 5:4 says "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." But how do you deal with grief and loss in a way that is healthy? As a Christian, God is with you and can emphasize with your pain. While you may not ever "get over" your grief, God can walk with you through the pain and losses you experience. To help you, in this article we list several ways God can comfort you as you deal with grief and loss.

GOD GRIEVES WITH YOU

The truth is, the last year has been a time of so much grief and loss for most of us. Some of us have lost our health, some lost jobs. Some of us lost family members or loved ones. Students lost graduations and proms. Contrary to what you may think, God doesn’t actually expect you to be happy all the time... especially in a global criss like a pandemic. In fact, the shortest verse of the Bible, John 11:35, tells us “Jesus wept”. In times of grief, Psalm 34:18 tells us the Lord draws near to us. You don't have to buckle up and put on a happy face when you are grieving a loss. Your sadness is not a weakness. So, don't be embarrassed by your tears. But, allow God to comfort you.

GRIEF IS VITAL TO YOUR HEALTH

While grief is a painful emotion, it's also a healthy one. Grief is actually a helpful tool that God gives us to get through the through the transitions of life. However, there are also two unhealthy reactions to loss that you should be aware of. One is repression, which is when you unconsciously try to block a painful thought out of your mind. The other is suppression, which is when you consciously try to block a painful thought out of your mind. However, grief calls us out of denial to express and confess our pain to Christ. When you do that, you're taking steps on the road to healing.

GOD GIVES YOU A CHURCH FAMILY FOR SUPPORT

You see, God blesses a broken heart when he draws us to himself. He feels the pain with you. He also gives us community to support. The thing is, you were never meant to carry loss on your own. As the church, we are family in Christ and called to be devoted to one another in love. If you are comforting someone enduring loss, take these suggestions to heart: Never minimize another's pain and eliminate the phrase "at least". While you may be tempted to try to fix someone's pain, that's not always helpful in the moment. So, just be there with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Listen and show that you care.

GOD GIVES US THE HOPE OF HEAVEN

Another way God comforts us in seasons of grief is with the reminder that this life is not the end. What we experience in this broken world is not the end of our story in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, "We don't want you to be ignorant about believers who have died. We don't want you to grieve like the people who have no hope." So, as Christians, we can grieve with the hope of Heaven. While we'll miss our loved ones, when those you love look to Christ as their Savior, we can have hope that they are in Heaven. We can grieve much differently from the rest of the world.

GOD GIVES PURPOSE TO YOUR PAIN

The last comfort for dealing with loss and grief is to remember that your greatest ministry can come out of your greatest hurt. God doesn't waste our experiences. In fact, he gives purpose to our pain. The truth is, you can handle an enormous amount of pain when there is a good purpose in it.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

If you're going through a tough time of grief and loss right now, we want to walk alongside you. If you want to learn more about how to grieve well and with faith, check out these additional resources from Liquid Church:

• MESSAGE: The Shack - Left feeling confused why God lets tragedy come to you or someone you love? So is Mack Phillips in this narrative drama. Click here to watch a powerful message from our 2017 At The Movies series.
• ARTICLE: Developing A New Perspective On Pain - How do we view our pain and loss in light of God’s love for us? Click here to gain a new perspective on suffering.