Jesus Bore Our Griefs and Sorrows

Last week, I got the awful news that the 24-year-old daughter of one of my relatives died suddenly and tragically. For the first few days, I had trouble processing the news because it was just too horrible to comprehend. I prayed and cried out to the Lord on behalf of my devastated family members. And then I began to seek the Lord about how He wanted me to view this tragedy. That’s when the Spirit of God brought to mind some wise words that a Christian counselor spoke to me many years ago. She said, “Joanne, you can’t bleed for everyone.” This woman knew that I had a tendency to empathize so closely with other people, that I often felt a heavier burden for them and their troubles than I was meant to bear. As a result, I was susceptible to severe mood swings, depression, and anxiety.

In recent years, God has made me realize that I’m not going to be any good to Him, myself, or anyone else if I try to bear the burdens of others that I don’t have the grace from Him to bear. The tragic death of my family member’s daughter had the ability to put me over the edge emotionally, and the Lord wanted me to know that I was to resist the feelings of grief and sorrow that threatened to overwhelm me. The Scripture says of Jesus: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4,5 NKJV) It’s natural—even healing—for us to mourn over the death of a loved one. But it is absolutely destructive for us to give in to a “spirit of grief”. How can we know the difference? We ask the Lord for discernment, and when He warns us that we are going beyond a normal grieving process, it is up to us to resist all destructive emotions.

So I began to declare with conviction: “I resist and rebuke you, Spirit of Grief and Sorrow! I’m redeemed from you by the Blood of the Lamb, and I give you no place in me. Depart from me, and don’t ever come back, in Jesus’ mighty name! For it is written, surely He bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, and by His stripes I am healed!”

The death of my loved one’s young daughter still saddens me, but I am no longer gripped by feelings of unrelenting grief and despair. And I thank God with all of my heart that I am able to comfort and strengthen those who need my support during this difficult time.