Power Study 12/10/14 Ecclesiastes 3:4 .... a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.... Romans 12:14-15 Bless them that persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep. We have a biblical duty laugh with, mourn with and rejoice with our fellowman. We also MUST bless those who persecute us. We cant be so self-absorbed and insensitive that we cant see other peoples pain or be able to rejoice with them when theyre rejoicing. We cant see other peoples suffering and chose to ignore it. Rejoicing with people is easy,but weeping with others makes no sense to the carnal christian. People go through seasons, but we cant ignore them just because what theyre going through doesnt make sense to us. How is it that we can go through and still go to work and go about our regular daily lives, but its just too much for us to go to Gods house and be among believers? Tips on how to deal with grief during the holidays and help others who are grieving: Realize that joyous/family times dont necessarily matter to someone who is grieving. Sometimes they will end up not showing up to events, not because they dont want to be there, but because they dont want to become the focus, or draw away from every one elses good time. Know that there is a void, and emptiness and often a loneliness that they feel. No one can tell them how to feel and how long to feel that way. We can only help them deal. 1. Know (and let them know) that talking about their loved one is OK. The stress/personal conflict only increases the more you try to suppress the memory of their loved one. Dont try to make their reality taboo. 2. Realize that things wont ever be the same for them. You may want them to, but they wont be. You cant get mad at people. Dont isolate yourself or become a hermit. Let people know they dont have to isolate themselves. 3. dont let others expectations dictate how your holiday should unfold. You dont have to go or be anywhere. You dont have to continue rituals or traditions. You can make new traditions. You dont have to keep revisiting a situation. Do what YOU have to do to help yourself be OK. 4. Seek support. Tell genuine supporters how youre feeling. Dont be afraid to connect with grief support groups. Being around people who have gone through what youre going through can help your situation. In assisting others, if ALL you have to offer is prayer, they youre coming up short. Yes, prayer is always good, and is always needed, but you need to be able to offer more than that. If someone is hungry, but prayer is all you have to offer, they youre coming up short. If someones child is about to go to jail, you might need to be able to offer a resource other than prayer. Also, if youre not equipped to handle a situation, please steer clear and hush. If your anointing isnt in that area, leave it alone. Know when to refer people to someone whose expertise is in that area. Even Jesus didnt try to do EVERYTHING. He could have, but even He had 12 disciples to help him. 5. Plan a special event/celebration to honor the memory of your loved one. Create a new tradition, recite a prayer for them, sing their favorite song, plan a special event, look at their pictures, etc. 6. Take care of yourself. Eat, sleep. People grieve in different ways. Some dont sleep, some sleep too much, wont go to work, wont bathe, etc. Some situations have such a great impact on people that they wont ever be the same. We must realize that and help them to deal. 7. When people blame God, we must cover them, pray with and for them and point them back to an all knowing, all seeing God. Listen to them, but also let them know that God has a plan and that His plan is always right and He doesnt make mistakes.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 05:47:06 +0000
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