I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service.

1 Timothy 1:12

In our elder years, church members lose spouses, loved ones, even their children. A program called “Grief Share” has been formed to comfort individuals in grief or sorrow. The participants mentor each other through a two-hour class for thirteen weeks, sharing their sadness. A workbook guides the class discussions including a 30-minute video on different stages of grief. Living grief, because of my own personal loss of a spouse, and now helping others in Grief Share, opens witnessing opportunities. Mentoring helps in different grief stages. The grief share group I attend includes a Christian witness to our hope in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection for our salvation. In our text, Paul wants Timothy to be faithful to his appointment in service to our Lord. We also are to be servants, mentoring in times of need, to encourage others in the Lord.

Dave Gruenhagen
Prescott Valley, AZ

Dear Jesus, thank you for our faith and the joy instilled in us so that we may mentor others. Amen.

Reflect: What could you say to a grieving person that would be meaningful, comforting, and encouraging?

Read: 1 Timothy 1 and 1 Timothy 2