Grief in the Christian Walk: Finding Comfort and Hope in God
Whether we like it or not, grief touches all of us. Living in a fallen world makes us vulnerable to loss. But what is grief, and how do we process it in a healthy way? In this post, we’ll explore the nature of grief and what it looks like to invite God into the process.
What Is Grief?
When you hear the word grief, you might immediately think of the death of a loved one. That’s certainly a form of grief—but it goes far beyond that. Grief is about loss: the loss of a relationship, a pet, a dream, a job, or even a season of life. If you pause and reflect, you’ve likely mourned something in your life.
Mourning is the outward expression of grief—a way of showing the sorrow we carry inside.
Types of Grief
Grief comes in many forms:
Acute grief – The loss is recent and fresh.
Anticipatory grief – Mourning something that has not yet happened.
Ambiguous grief – Loss without closure.
Disenfranchised grief – Grief that is not recognized or supported by others.
Traumatic grief – Grief following a traumatic event.
Complicated grief – Persistent, intense grief and yearning for the deceased lasting longer than a year, recognized in the DSM-5 TR as Prolonged Grief Disorder.
Understanding these forms can help us recognize that grief is not one-size-fits-all—and that our experience is valid, no matter how it shows up.
Lament: God Meets Us in Our Grief
Who can answer our questions of “Why?” and bring true comfort? Only a holy and loving God. Thankfully, Jesus is described as a “man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He knows our pain firsthand.
The book of Psalms, as mentioned in Mark Vroegop’s book, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, gives us a structure for bringing grief to God through lament:
Crying out to Him
Bringing our complaints honestly before Him
Asking boldly for help
Remembering God’s character
These expressions show us that God invites us into lament because He is a good Father who cares deeply and can act on our behalf.
I have personally experienced disenfranchised and chronic grief, yet the Lord continues to meet me in those places of sorrow. In the Bible, books like Lamentations, Job, Psalm 88, and Jeremiah became unexpected places of comfort in my questions and hurt.
C.S. Lewis beautifully illustrates this in The Magician’s Nephew. Digory grieves over his sick mother and turns to Aslan, the Christ-figure, for help. Though uncertain at first, he sees tears in Aslan’s eyes, sharing his sorrow deeply. It’s a powerful image of our Father meeting us in our grief—His shoulders are wide enough for our sorrow, anger, and pain.
Finding Hope in Loss
Grief reminds us of the blessings we’ve had. Even in a fractured world, God calls us to hold the goodness alongside the pain and cling to His promise of making all things new (Revelation 21).
Grief is hard, but we are not alone. God meets us in our tears, hears our cries, and walks with us through sorrow. Where is He meeting you in your grief today?
