Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/dear-disciple-its-okay-to-grieve-what-youve-lost/ 

Check out other great articles on RENEW.org here: https://renew.org/articles/

Dear young disciple,

You have come so far in your journey with Christ, and I am proud of you. I know it doesn’t feel like you’ve developed and grown much, but even the decisive step to join Jesus in this journey of life is a monumental step of growth and something worth celebrating. Yet, you don’t feel like celebrating sometimes, do you? Sometimes it feels like there isn’t much to celebrate, right?

I get it, this life with Jesus can be difficult with learning to constantly honor the commitment to Him, feeling different from others around you, and feeling like there’s a weight of expectation on your shoulders. It’s often easier to dwell on what life used to be like, where things felt more in your control and felt more “normal.”

It’s like as a young adult dwelling on life as a kid without the responsibilities and with the freedoms that it gave. The responsibilities of a new life, or new stage of life, can always feel daunting and weighty, especially when we feel like we’re going through it alone. There are genuine changes within every development, and whenever there is growth and change, there is also loss.

Loss doesn’t have to be the giant in the room, where we lose a loved one or a part of our health. Loss is any time something is let go of, detached from, or not achieved; that could be a dream, a hobby, a friend, an identity, a favorite restaurant, or something else. With loss, what naturally should follow is a time of grieving to address the thing that we lost before we come to accept what is new.

Listen for more...

Join RENEW.org's Newsletter: https://renew.org/resources/newsletter-sign-up/

Get our Premium podcast feed featuring all the breakout sessions from the RENEW gathering early. 

https://reallifetheologypodcast.supercast.com/ 

Join RENEW.org at one of our upcoming events: https://renew.org/resources/events/

Be sure to like, subscribe and follow on social media! 

You can find us on: