What’s a good way to encourage a friend who’s feeling down due to the loss of a family member or friend?
We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, by continuing to use this site you agree to this.
Find out more on how we use cookies and how to disable them.
davidbeloved on November 26, 2012 at 11:33 pm
I have a Good Brother in Christ that lost his wife about two years ago. I just went and sat with him as much as I could. Didn’t say a whole lot. We just sat. He talked I just listened. When I had to leave, I gave him a hug, we prayed for his peace. Being like our Lord to give rest and a shoulder to lean on. It’s our Lords presents, nothing we do.
tom felten on November 28, 2012 at 8:33 am
davidbeloved, great approach. Yes, you truly offered the presence and love of Jesus to your friend. What a helpful reminder to let our words be few as we listen and care for our grieving friends and family.
mizroby on November 28, 2012 at 4:37 pm
What’s a good way to encourage a friend who’s feeling down due to the loss of a family member or friend?
Grief is something we can not just say something and it goes away. But while we are still children of God on this earth we still must do what our purpose for being here. We talk about how God was in the same kind of Grief when his son had to die. So Jesus knows what and how we grieve and even with such a sad thing to deal with, we share God’s love with them which can help that person get through this, even if Jesus has to carry that person through it. If grief is not dealt with it could harm the person, so as hard as it might be, try to get them to focus on the death of Christ and that he is there with you. At one point, Jesus did beg his Father not to let him die, so he was human and he did suffer too. Grieve as you need to but try your hardest not to sin or to blame or hate God for this dealth. If the person wants you to stay with them then this has been placed before you to do and you should. Just don’t be like the friends that Job had, but be loving and supporting and help with the cooking, cleaning, and such things the person can not carry out.
To anyone with this a dealth to deal with please know if you reach for Him, He will be there. I was beaten and left for dead once in my life. When I screamed at Jesus and asked why He didn’t help me and stop what was happening to me? He said: “Because you didn’t ask.” He was right, I didn’t but sure wish that I had.
Later I would lose my 5 kids, mini mansion, possesions, my at home business that was making tons of money, all in one day. Long story short, I found Jesus at that time and He was with me through the devistation that happened. It was injustice that this happened and Jesus hates injustice but without Him, I promise you I would have killed myself because the pain was just too much for me to bare alone. We must go through things like this and there is a reason. Simply, I found Him at that time and with counseling, I got through it. It was wrong what happened to me but years later the kids are coming back to me one by one, I had divorced my husband during the time we were apart. (It was my husband who wanted the divorce, so he got the paperwork going, the day the court case came up I didn’t show up, the judge said I was to get everything that was mine, including the business stuff and my husband burned it all instead. Jesus replaced it all with better than I had. I am just saying it’s better to have Him than to not have Him. May God bless those who suffer with the death of a loved one. May He come into your heart and give you the tools you need to survive grief and may he bless you with angels, the Word and Jesus himself. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
tom felten on November 29, 2012 at 9:49 am
mizroby, your testimony to God’s grace is truly inspiring. Your love for Jesus and deep faith in Him radiates from your every word. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and story with all of us in the ODJ community. And please know that you are in my prayers. May God continue to give you all you need to serve Him in hope and joy (Philippians 4:19).