1 / 7

Lesson 7: A Faith that overcomes grief and loneliness

Lesson 7: A Faith that overcomes grief and loneliness. Understanding Grief & Loneliness What Is Grief? Deep mental anguish, as that arising from bereavement Sorrow, distress, sadness, mournfulness, gloom, heartache Not All Grief Is Wrong

nysa
Download Presentation

Lesson 7: A Faith that overcomes grief and loneliness

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Lesson 7:A Faith that overcomes grief and loneliness

  2. Understanding Grief & Loneliness • What Is Grief? • Deep mental anguish, as that arising from bereavement • Sorrow, distress, sadness, mournfulness, gloom, heartache • Not All Grief Is Wrong • Jesus manifested grief at loss of a loved one – John 11:32-35 • Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem – Luke 19:41 • Jesus’ disciples mourned & wept after His death –Mk. 16:10 • Paul wrote of “a continual grief” in his heart – Rom. 9:1-2 • Elders expressed grief at Paul’s departure – Acts 20:36-38 • Paul sorrowed at the illness of Epaphroditus – Phil. 2:27-28

  3. Understanding Grief & Loneliness • Loneliness Is Not Necessarily Wrong • Solitude (which is by choice) is different than loneliness • Loneliness is a feeling of dissatisfaction with the quality and/or quantity of one’s relationships with other people • There is “social loneliness” – isolated from friends & family • There is “emotional loneliness” – feel have no one to talk to • Grief & Loneliness Can Become a Problem • When it makes one useless for any service • When it begins to produce psychosomatic illness • “Loneliness eats into the soul”

  4. Understanding Grief & Loneliness • Common Reactions to Grief & Loneliness • Active solitude – becoming engrossed in some activity that we enjoy and which enriches our lives (positive reaction) • Social action – taking deliberate action that breaks the isolation and involves us with others (positive reaction) • Distraction – doing something to take our minds off our sense of grief & loneliness (more neutral reaction) • Sad passivity – continuing to feel badly and doing nothing to positively impact the problem (negative reaction that can lead to a downward spiral)

  5. A Faith That Overcomes Grief & Loneliness • Remember: Jesus suffered both grief and loneliness! • Grief: Luke 19:41; 22:44; John 11:32-35 • Loneliness: Matt. 26:40, 43, 45; 27:46 • As such, He is better suited to aid us now (Heb. 2:17-18) • Remember: The Lord is with you! • When one walks with God, never truly alone (John 16:32) • Joshua had a close friend in God (Deut. 31:6-8; Josh. 1:1-9) • Assured of His abiding presence (John 14:21, 23; 2 John 9) • He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5-6) • He is with us always (Matt. 28:20)

  6. A Faith That Overcomes Grief & Loneliness • Remember: The Lords gives you a family! • The church is the family of God (1 Tim. 3:15; 5:1-2) • We have 100-fold brothers, sisters, mothers (Mk. 10:29-20) • “God sets the solitary in families” (Psa. 68:6) • In this family, we are to bear one another’s grief • By weeping with those who weep (Rom. 12:15) • By sharing in each other’s sufferings (1 Cor. 12:25-26) • By comforting one another with the comfort we each receive from God (2 Cor. 1:3-5) • Many bear their grief alone b/c they don’t have this family

  7. A Faith That Overcomes Grief & Loneliness • We can have a faith that overcomes grief & loneliness by: • Truly believing the Lord wants the best for us (Jn. 14:1-3) • Taking comfort in the promises of God (1 Thess. 4:13-18) • Praying…& praying some more (Lk 18:1; Mt 6:5-6; Ph. 4:6-7) • Remembering Jesus intercedes as our High Priest (Heb 7:25) • Serving others (Matt. 20:25-28) • Consorting with true friends in the church who will strengthen your hand in God (1 Sam. 23:16) • Staying busy in the Master’s work (Ph. 2:12-13; 1 Cor. 15:58) • Studying the Bible…specifically – Finding “YOUR Psalm”

More Related