While most of us experience grief in some form during our lives, the process differs from person to person—we all grieve in our own way, on our own time.
Some of us may find the beginning of the grieving process much more difficult to overcome, while others may struggle with the later stages. This is okay. As painful as it might feel, grief is a necessary part of healing and helps us grow.
To comfort those experiencing the loss of a loved one, we’ve put together this collection of encouraging Bible verses about grief.
As a way to help identify and understand what we may feel, psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross developed the five stages of grief. Her model suggests humans experience five stages of grief after a loss: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
The stages above are to be used as a framework, keeping in mind that everyone experiences grief in their own unique way. This framework also begs the question—is it the Word’s way?
The five grief stages track typical grief responses. However, they may not correspond with the Bible’s process for hurting (grieving) and hoping (growing).
The biblical approach to grieving and growing identifies eight scriptural “stages” of our response to life’s losses:
Stages of Hurt
Stages of Hope
Whether you prefer to think of grief in five stages or eight, there are endless Bible verses about grief to help you along the way.
Attempting to balance the feelings of pain and loss while moving forward with your daily life can feel extremely difficult. It’s important you be honest with your emotions and not lose hope. Turn to the following Bible verses for ease and comfort as you navigate through the five stages of grief.
Denial is the first stage of grief. Many times, our first reaction is to deny the loss of a loved one—a friend, a parent, a child, a spouse or even a pet.
Coming to terms with loss is one of the first steps in our grief process. Our first thought is to deny the news and hope we are imagining the whole situation. While denial is normal during the grieving process, it’s important to remember these Bible verses.
During the anger stage of the grieving process, you may lash out or blame others for your loss.
While it’s perfectly okay to feel angry and vent your feelings, these Bible verses remind us not to allow our anger to affect others. Instead, find healthy ways to express your emotions like going for a walk or venting to a confidant. Find loved ones who will listen to your struggle and encourage you.
The bargaining phase of the grieving process is when you may find yourself wishing for a different scenario than the one you just experienced.
When we bargain, we make promises to help us avoid the pain of accepting the situation. We focus on our personal regrets and recall times we may have hurt our lost loved one. However, these Bible verses remind us that God takes us as we are and does not bargain.
When coping with grief, you might find yourself in a state of depression and deep sadness. At this point, you may feel emotionally and physically removed from your family and friends. It might feel impossible to face the day to day of life, so you choose to remain isolated.
While depression may feel unbearable at times, comfort from those close to you can help ease your sadness. If you or someone you know shows signs of depression, seek help and remember these few Bible verses.
As difficult as it may be to grieve the loss of a loved one, it does get better. During the acceptance stage of the grief process, you begin to fully acknowledge your loss and allow yourself to move forward.
No matter the difficulty of the previous stages, you will always be able to find Bible verses that will help you through all walks of life.
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