Spiritual mourning has a clear focus. It is mourning over particular sins, that you have come to see through the ministry of God's Word, through God's Spirit and through God's people. State your sin clearly—without excuse and without evasion: “I have acted out of envy. I have insisted on my own way.
In Scripture, godly sorrow is connected to both regret for sin and a desire to turn away from it. In the Old Testament, for instance, King David admitted his sinfulness and the distress he felt because of it.
People who have worldly sorrow are often defensive about their sin and attempt to justify it or explain it away; whereas godly sorrow causes you to own your sin and make no excuses.
Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation. Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ's love.
Learn God's attributes practically–God knows it, He can do it, He is here, He is unique, He is fair, He is dependable, He is good, He is patient, He is consistent, He is in control, He is sacrificial, He is pure, He is joyful and more. To develop a heart for God, boast about Him above all.
When we trust God and believe His word, it pleases His heart. It is really that simple. Enoch was a man that pleased God. Heb 11:5 “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: 'He could not be found, because God had taken him away.
The five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – are often talked about as if they happen in order, moving from one stage to the other.
2 Corinthians 7:10 New International Version (NIV)
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Godly sorrow is when the Holy Spirit places a sadness upon your heart and spirit and tells you that something is not right. We have done something wrong, and we need to repent and return to the Father.
There are two kinds of sorrow. Worldly sorrow brings death. You can be full of regret and never change; you can be sorry without repenting. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.
Just as God saw and heard the Hebrew's cry, He hears yours, too. He is aware of your affliction and suffering. Each tear we cry has meaning to our Father God. He keeps track of all our sorrows just as carefully as if He were gathering each tear and placing it in a bottle for His remembrance.
For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
While worldly often describes individuals who are sophisticated and well-rounded in education, travel, and experiences, it's also used for people who are rooted in the world or focused on physical and material things around them, rather than on spiritual matters.
Grief can be stored in various parts of the body, such as the heart, lungs, throat, and stomach. People may also experience physical sensations like heaviness in the chest or tightness in the throat when experiencing grief.
The technical word for feeling nothing is anhedonia. Anhedonia is one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder, but someone might also experience this sort of reaction in response to things like anxiety or trauma.
Often the second year is the hardest as that's when the real grief work might begin. This is the time when you may be ready to face your grief head on and deal with any issues that are holding you back. If you're not ready yet though, don't feel guilty. There is no deadline and everyone grieves in their own time.
What is the hardest stage of grief? Depression is usually the longest and most difficult stage of grief. Depression can be a long and difficult stage in the grieving process, but it's also when people feel their deepest sadness.
Practice the three C's
As you build a plan, consider the “three Cs”: choose, connect, communicate. Choose: Choose what's best for you. Even during dark bouts of grief, you still possess the dignity of choice. “Grief often brings the sense of loss of control,” said Julie.
The five stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief.
Joyful sacrifice, relentless submission, godly sorrow, and soul-ravishing satisfaction—these are the marks of a heart captivated by the glory and beauty of God.
“God, help me see a need and meet it. Let me find a hurt and help heal it.” When we reach out to help someone in need — providing food, water, clothing, helping folks with the essentials of life, we are touching the heart of God. Jesus said specifically, “When you do this for others you are doing it to me.”