Healing From Trauma: The Science & the ScripturesSample

We cannot side step our grief, even when it feels hard and heavy. In trauma, there are a lot of things to grieve. We grieve what happened. We grieve the impact it may have on our future. We grieve what was lost. Grief is a human emotion given to us by God that allows us to process our pain.

Even Jesus grieved. He grieved at the impact of sin as he approached Lazarus’ tomb, even knowing that he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead.

It’s been said that we can’t heal what we don’t allow ourselves to feel. Grief is how we feel our way through the pain.

The Science: Grief impacts the wiring of the brain. When stuck in fight or flight because of trauma, going through the stages of grief in a healthy way allows the brain to process the event and gives space for positive rewiring of the brain. It leads to improved coping skills, an ability to envision future possibilities, and a decrease in anxiety.

The Scripture: 'There is a time for everything...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived, is usually credited to writing Ecclesiates. In this book, he looks at the transient nature of the human experience - especially outside of God. He recognizes that everything apart from God is ultimately futile. But in God - in Christ - we have hope and purpose. There is a time in every human experience to grieve. Know that you are not alone in this process. Know that in Christ, he works on our behalf to bring purpose to our pain (Romans 8:28) as we confront it, inviting the Holy Spirit in to walk with us. The pain of grieving may last the night, but joy WILL come in the morning.