Christian Condolences: Bible Verses Sympathy Messages

When you are unable to come up with the words to express condolences, one option is to write or quote Bible verses as your sympathy message. You may find yourself wondering how to condole someone for grief resulting from death, pain, or any other loss. Using Bible verses to condole a grieving person can be the best way to encourage him or her.

The beautiful, powerful, and hopeful text of the Bible can become a meaningful condolence to anyone, especially those who believe in God's power. Grief is a time that leads to questioning of meaning of your existence, and the Bible is one way to understand meaning in life and in loss. Some Bible verses work well as offerings of condolences to someone who is suffering and questioning.  Below you will find a few of these bible verses with a little background to make each easy to understand.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."-Matthew 5:4

This Bible quote comes from straight from Jesus teaching the disciples. This is a sliver of what is called the Beatitudes. It can become a condolence message when someone has died.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."-James 1:12

This message from James is an appropriate condolence message for people who may be having a difficult time in their lives. Condolences are tough when you can't see any hope for the person's situation, but this Bible verse sends a message of hope to persevere.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”-Revelation 21:4

This Bible verse comes from the book of Revelation, which is set in the future. This is an especially meaningful and powerful condolence message for Christians who believe that one day God will fulfill this "Revelation."

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul."-Psalm 23:2-3

Just reading this beautiful imagery gives a sense of calm and peace. Refreshing your soul with these condolences could be helpful. These come from the Psalmist, David, who is known as a man after God's own heart. Yes, it's the same David who killed Goliath the giant. Events in his life didn't always work out so great, thought. His Psalms are filled with emotion like any good songwriting.  This imagery likely comes from David's experience as a shepherd.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."-1 Thessalonians 4

This example of condolences from the bible is a direct message to Christians who are grieving the loss of a fellow Christian. The only problem is that even when Christians have faith and hope, they still feel the painful sting of loss of someone close in this life. This is a good verse to use in conjunction with a nice encouraging sympathy message.

1. When using a Bible verse as your condolence message, you don't necessarily have to write anything else. It can be nice to add some context or personal interpretation for the verse, since the person you are condoling may not be thinking as clearly as he or she normally does.
2. Write out the entire Bible verse: This is important because you enable the person to immediately read the condolence message Bible verse without having to look it up. Make your condolences at least one easy thing for him or her to do. Don't just write Psalm 23 in the card.
   
3. Don't preach: Feel free to add your own interpretation of the verse for the situation, but be careful not to preach at the person. There is a fine line between explanation and being pushy when you use Bible verses. Remember you are trying to comfort, not condemn.