Page 61 - Power Guide - January week 1 2019 FINAL

4. Concepts to Consider

God has endowed humanity with a means of
processing loss so that we do not become stuck in
debilitating sadness. (Note: loss can come to us in
many forms, e.g., unfulfilled expectations, divorce,
loss of a job, various life changes, loss of control,
death, etc.) This process is known as “grief.” When
we don’t embrace the gift of grief and choose to avoid
it or push it aside, we are likely to respond to the pain
of loss in unhealthy ways. Our unprocessed hurt may
come out “sideways” as misplaced anger, depression,
addiction, numbness, etc.

It is interesting to observe that Jesus--even though
He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the
dead--nevertheless paused to loudly wail and weep
and allow Himself to feel the pain of the physical
absence of His friend. He also stopped to affirm the
loss experienced and expressed by Mary, Martha, and
all the assembled mourners. At no point does Jesus
criticize the fact that they are mourning. He simply
states--and finally demonstrates--that He is the source
of truth and hope. He is the resurrection and life.
The ultimate destiny of all who die in the Lord is a
resurrected reality in the New Heaven and Earth.

As we work through several “best practices” of the
Christian faith over the coming weeks, one of our
goals is to begin to exercise holy command over our
unwieldy thoughts and emotions. Through consistent
training, we will begin to see God’s victory in our lives
become a more normal part of our daily experience.
We will slowly begin to realize that we are moving

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