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Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 - You Need to Grieve Life's Losses.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 (NIV) There is a time 
for everything, and a season for every activity 
under heaven: 4 a time to weep and a time to 
laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,  

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Life is tough. The world is broken, and 
nothing works perfectly. Your body doesnt work 
perfectly, the weather doesnt work perfectly, the 
economy doesnt work perfectly, and no 
relationship works perfectly. Life is full of losses. 
   As you learn to rise above lifes 
inevitable losses, you need to understand a couple of 
truths that will give you better perspective. 
   First, God doesnt expect you to be 
happy all the time. 
   There is this myth that Christians should 
be always smiling, always happy, always 
cheerful. 
   But the Bible says, There is a time 
for everything, and a season for every activity 
under the heavens  a time to weep and a time to 
laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance 
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NIV). 
   Sometimes the only appropriate, logical 
response to life is grief. The Bible says you should 
grieve over your losses, including your 
disappointments, your sin, the suffering in the world, and 
your friends who are spiritually lost. God 
doesnt expect you to be happy all the time. In 
fact, he wants you to be intentional in your 
grief. 
   Second, grief is essential to your health.
   If you never grieve over anything, it 
means one of three things: Youre out of touch 
with reality, youre out of touch with your own 
emotions, or you dont love. When you love and you 
see sad things, grief is a natural response. 
   Grief is a healthy and helpful emotion. 
And its Gods gift that helps you get 
through the transitions of life. 
   Maybe you were hurt many years ago 
growing up. Maybe your parents divorced. Maybe you 
were abused. Maybe you were hurt by something 
somebody said about you. As a child, you didnt 
know how to grieve in a healthy way, so you just 
pushed it down deep inside you. 
   You need to grieve that hurt. Why? 
Because if you dont grieve, you get stuck 
emotionally, and you spend the rest of your life reacting 
to something that happened a long time ago and 
taking it out on the people around you. Its 
unhealthy! 
   David talked about this in Psalm 32:3: 
When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep 
inside me. I moaned all day long (NCV). 
   The bad things that happen to you are not 
your choice. But grief is a choice! Youve got 
to let yourself mourn losses so that you can 
move forward to emotional and spiritual health. 
[Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

TEXTS FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Matthew 5:4 - Blessed are those who mourn, 
for they shall be comforted. 

Revelation 21:4 - He will wipe away every 
tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, 
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor 
pain anymore, for the former things have passed 
away. 

Psalm 147:3 - He heals the brokenhearted and 
binds up their wounds. 

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your anxieties on 
him, because he cares for you. 

Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is near to the 
brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all who labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I 
am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find 
rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my 
burden is light. 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Matthew 5:4 - The Blessing of Mourning is 
Comfort. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200617-0837.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/