Our Five Stages

(Darlene Luke)

According to Wikipedia, there are five (5) stages of grief, tragedy, collapse or loss.

“The Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as The Five Stages of Grief, is an hypothesis first introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her book 'On Death and Dying,' which was inspired by her work with terminally ill patients.”

The five stages are as follows:

1 ~ Denial: I feel fine.

This can't be happening, not to me.

2 ~ Anger: Why me? It's not fair!

How can this happen to me?

Who is to blame?

3 ~ Bargaining: I'll do anything for a few more years.

I will give my life savings if...

4 ~ Depression: I'm so sad, why bother with anything?

I'm going to die soon so what's the point?

I miss my loved ones, why go on?
 

5 ~ Acceptance: It's going to be okay.

I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it.

After meditating on this, I felt led to compare this to the lives of the Sons of God. In our walk with God we know we must die to self, as Paul stated in Corinthians, “I die daily.” And as John said in his gospel, “He must increase, but I decrease.” So just as we experience bereavement over loss of a loved one, or any other tragedy in our lives, we  must  (must might be omited) also grieve over the death of our “self,” our “ego,” the adverse consciousness that thinks and acts independent of God. So as the “self” decreases or dies, we will go through each stage of grief over the loss.

Another thing to mention is that we are a 4-fold being, spirit, *soul, mind and body (Is not the "mind" synonymous to the soul? See Preston Eby's quote below), not 3-fold. We are spirit first, we have a  mind and  soul, and we reside in a body. These areas must all be separated from each other. There is a partition in the midriff of the body, between you and your spirit man, between your spirit and your soul, which is your sensitive nature, your emotional department. The Word of God, the 2-Edged Sword, separates you from the things that trouble other people (cares of the world). The Double-Edged Sword pierces and divides the spirit from the soul realm.

Thomas Merton wrote, "To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to the violence of our times."

It's interesting that he refers to this as the “violence of our times.” Allowing to be carried away from all these concerns and demands really is violence inflicted upon ourselves. Many people can also be so busy with what they feel is the ministry that God has given them, that they fail to receive the fellowship that the Lord gives in telling them what He wants. They are going about their business and not “The Father's.”

In John, Chapter 14, the Lord said that the, “Comforter” sent by the Father will teach us ALL things, and bring ALL things to our remembrance. We are told that no MAN would know that day and hour of the Lord's arrival, the manifestation of the Sons, but I believe we can, through the “Comforter.” At the same time I want to add that I also don't believe we are to concern ourselves with a date on the calendar, but rather where our relationship is with the Lord, through our stages of grief to the death of self. And when we all complete the final stage of “Acceptance,” we then will have arrived at the appointed hour, “The Coming of the Lord.” I believe the Sons then will go beyond the “Upper Room” experience where God electrified their minds. For the Sons, it will be electrifying our entire being, spirit, soul,  mind  (omit mind or have it: soul/mind ) and body, and our Lord Christ Jesus will, “come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of his glory.”

Are the Sons going through each stage at the same time? I don't know for sure. I do feel that the stage of “Depression” is possibly and probably the hardest to go through, because it requires patience and long-suffering, to and from others, while we go through it. This stage is that final climb before reaching the summit, called the “Death Zone.” In Wikipedia, the “Depression” stage is explained as follows:

“During the fourth stage, the dying person begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the individual may become silent, refuse visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying person to disconnect from things of love and affection. It is not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed. Depression could be referred to as the dress rehearsal for the 'aftermath'. It is a kind of acceptance with emotional attachment. It's natural to feel sadness, regret, fear, and uncertainty when going through this stage. Feeling those emotions shows that the person has begun to accept the situation.”

Amos 5 says that the, “...the day of the Lord is darkness and not light.” The “Depression” stage, I believe is “The Day of the Lord.” The degree of enfoldment, light, and understanding that is resident in you is what brings you through it. What (maybe: That which you embrace. ) you embrace.

Per Revenge TV Series, most people reach “Acceptance.” “The rest, “grief is a life sentence without clemency, a merciless master, where they can never accept or forgive.” This is entering the “Death Zone” called “Revenge.”

“Acceptance,” where we come to terms with the mortality of self. Once the Sons go through this stage, I believe we will see the complete “Coming of the Lord,” when He totally reveals Himself in the Fullness of His power through the true church, the Sons of God. The conscious awareness of Christ within you and around you. When we officially carry His name.