Navigating Griefনমুনা

The Many Forms of Grief

Billy Graham said, “Sometimes our way lies in the sunlight. Other times, it lies in the path of sorrow. Yet even sorrows turn to blessings when they make us less attached to the world and more attached to God. Then, more than ever, we discover that Jesus truly is our friend.”

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, grief is "deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement." Brothers, this week, we will discuss navigating grief, which can be emotionally challenging for men.

It's essential to recognize that grief can manifest in different ways, with the most common being the loss of a loved one. However, this week, we will also explore other forms of grief.

A second type of grief we will be discussing this week is the grief we experience when a relationship is broken beyond repair. It could be a marriage, a friendship, or an alienated child.

The following day, we will look at the grief of losing your job. As men, we can tie our identity to our work because it gives us purpose, and losing that can be devastating.

The day after, we will be looking at grief as a result of being betrayed. Men, we have all been there. We have expectations from our wives, children, friends, and co-workers. You might have decided to let your walls down and trust someone just to be betrayed. It is like being punched in the gut.

The last type of grief we will look at this week is God’s grief. Genesis 6:5-7 proclaims God’s grief at sin: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

Brothers, this week's topic might be challenging. Despite that, let's lean in together to unburden the heavy baggage we all carry at some point in our lives.

Prayer: Father, give us the courage to understand and navigate our grief this week. Amen.

Reflection: What makes navigating grief so challenging for men?