My Answer
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I’m trying to comfort a neighbor who lost two family members within days. My neighbor is afraid her testimony will be weakened because she cannot overcome the grief. Is there a word of hope? – W.H.
A: Even in the midst of grieving, mourners begin to look for glimmers of hope. First, an hour will not go by without thinking of the loss; then a few hours, then a day. They get a good night’s sleep for the first time. A meal tastes good. Slowly, reconstruction begins.
For believers in Jesus Christ, Scripture does bring comfort. Passages that have been read many times before suddenly stand out with deeper meaning.
A daughter called her grieving mother long distance and said, “Listen, Mom, to what Romans 14:8 says: ‘If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s’ (NASB). Isn’t that great?”
This, indeed, is true. We win.
The Bible says we have a God of hope. In the Scripture we find our hope. Having faith and hope does not mean that we bypass grief, but we can work through it and be strengthened.
Death is an enemy and grief is its companion. But it is all part of life, and for those who put their trust and faith in the Lord, trials bring us closer to Him, allowing us to comfort others in their times of sorrow.
Our grief is not a sign of weakness but of great love for someone who has been important to us. If there is something we need more than anything else during grief, it is a friend who stands with us, who doesn’t leave us. Jesus is that friend.
(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2026 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2026 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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