Grief (n)

• deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone's death.

Before diving in, it’s important to understand what grief means. Deep sorrow especially caused by someone’s death. The word that sticks out the most to me isn’t ‘sorrow’ but ‘death’. The death of someone and all that person had attached to them. That someone is us when we give our life to Christ. We die to ourselves, our old ways, patterns, and walk in who we are truly called to be. Like any death, this may bring about grieving.

Galatians 2:20 says 

‘I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ Christ died for US, but in order for him to live IN us, we have to die as well. 

When we make the decision to follow Jesus, We make the decision to be set apart from the World and the things of it, so that the Holy Spirit can have dominion over our flesh, and empower us to be obedient to Christ. Empower us to walk in a path of righteousness, and to be his disciples, to make the Lord known in all the earth. The difficult part isn’t saying yes to Jesus. That’s actually easy being Jesus is the best thing we could ever say ‘yes’ to. The difficult part is dying to ourself, picking up our cross, leaving all behind and following him. We see in Matthew 19:16 with the rich young ruler, that the hard part wasn’t willingness to inherit heaven or acknowledging Jesus, or even following commandments..the hard part was leaving all behind, and following HIM, leaving the comforts and crutches of the old life.  This is why I believe so many people leave the faith, or never come to it. I believe everyone wants to believe in something. I believe everyone wants a savior, a guide, their burdens to be taken and to be blessed and favored. Everyone however doesn’t want to look in the mirror and see themselves for who they are, or aren’t once stripped down.

When dependence is on the world and people, you can forget who you actually are. You have a misinterpretation of what the world really is. This is called illusion. Which is what we all live in outside of Christ. So many people forfeit a wonderful life because they’re afraid of what It would be like without their crutches. That fear of the unknown. But the truth is, it’s not ‘unknown’. The word tells us exactly what to expect, what we’re up against, and that we have the victory over every battle BECAUSE we have Christ. Meaning, without him, every battle ultimately is lost. There should be more fear living without Christ than WITH him.

Breaking patterns and habits isn’t easy. Uprooting what has been comforting isn’t easy, and what should be told to us more often that not, is that we will grieve what was. There are times where memories or reminders, people or places come up and you miss them. But when you dive into Gods word, and see that everything that’s unfolding out of your obedience brings you so much more joy, it’s a testament to God’s faithfulness and sovereignty. Think about it..These things that you are grieving.. Are they contrary to God’s word or in alignment with it? Galatians 5:16-26 highlights what is and isn’t in alignment with God. Romans 6:1-23 actually lets us know that these things we’ve held onto contrary to God’s word has kept us enslaved. That we were slaves to sin before being freed by Christ. A slave. Which means we had a master. Diving deep into God’s word is diving deep into self. Exposing all the Truths behind what you once carried. As harsh as it is, all of these lusts we had in our old life pre being saved were hindrances and blinding us to the truth. 

Ephesians 4:21 States

‘Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires..’

Even desires can be deceitful. Discernment comes as a gift when we choose Jesus. So if we walk without him, we can’t ever really know if we are being deceived. Again, power, wisdom, strength and true authority only comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

So I say all that to say, Grieving is part of life. But there’s a time. Ecclesiastes 3 says there’s a time for everything, but it states ‘a time’, meaning there has to be an end as well. ‘A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance’.  I love most when it says ‘a time to kill and a time to heal’. That right there, is the death, but the good news is, the healing part. We are meant to feel all of these emotions but, not STAY in them. 

Isaiah 43:18 says ‘Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old, behold I am doing a NEW thing’.

A new thing. That is the Good news of God. The new. 

We cant step into the new if we are still in the old. We can’t experience the wonderful workings of God in it’s totality if we are still in the old. God’s desire is to give us a hope and a future. To delight in us experiencing his creation, and his beauty, to see us in bliss and in harmony with his perfect plan. But we have to be bold enough to walk away from our old life. There’s nothing better than giving up the things that were killing you slowly. There’s nothing better than giving up, the things that are the byproduct of the enemy. There is nothing better than letting the holy spirit lead you in a life of purity and fruitfulness. Your powerful testimony will help save the lives of so many people. When you share the things you left behind, and share how God empowered you to become new. We don’t have to change the essence of who we are. But we know the things that aren’t truly good for us. And if we are unsure, we  have a whole manual for us on how to live the best life we can.

Prayer- 

‘Heavenly father, It’s an honor to be known by you, and an honor to know you haven’t given up on me despite me living a life contrary to you and your word. I now see how so many things that have been pleasing to me, are actually hurting you. I repent for my selfishness and Sin. To be covered and favored and truly blessed by you, I need to serve you and you alone. I renounce serving the Master of Sin, and ask you holy spirit to empower me to make the right decisions day to day. I turn away from the world and its lusts and desires so I can just be pleasing to you. I don’t want to live in illusion but in truth. Remove the scales from my eyes so I can see clearer than I ever have, and help me walk in all your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.’