Sometimes life just downright stinks. Don’t get me wrong; I believe God can give us joy during even the most difficult moments, but that doesn’t make the hurt go away. Even when we are walking in step with Jesus, we will experience hurt. We will experience heartache. We will experience pain, depression, and sorrow. Lately, I’ve seen and experienced a lot of brokenness. I’ve been in a place where I haven’t wanted to smile and be cheerful. Maybe you’ve been feeling the same lately.
If you’re experiencing a period of discouragement, know that Jesus did too. Before Jesus even came to this earth, Isaiah prophesied, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.” When Jesus was on this earth, he mourned for others and he mourned for himself. Jesus knows what it feels like to be rejected; his friends couldn’t even stay awake to stand guard while he prayed (Matthew 26:40). He knows what it feels like to experience loss; he mourned the loss of his cousin, John the Baptist (Matthew 14:13). Jesus knows what it is like to live in a broken world; He lived and interacted with people who failed to show His love (Matthew 19:22, Mark 3:5). Jesus knows what it’s like to experience pain; He was beaten and mocked by enemies and betrayed by friends (Matthew 26:49, John 19). Jesus experienced heartache on this earth, and I believe God is still hurting with us even in this moment.
God did not intend for us to live in a world with starving children, wounded soldiers, and broken families. God does not like that we are affected in negative ways by natural disasters, hatred, and disease and illness. In fact, in Genesis, God even goes so far as to say that He shouldn’t have made man. “It grieved him to his heart (6:6).” If God grieved the wickedness of that period, don’t you think He is grieving the wickedness of today? I believe God intended for all of us to be living in relationship with Him and in harmony with others (John 6:39). I believe it breaks His heart to see our broken hearts. He wants to restore us and bring us to a place where there will be complete peace and joy, not sorrow (Revelation 21:4).
You may be mourning the loss of a loved one. You may have just gone through a breakup. You may be devastated by the state of your community, town, or nation. Whatever you are experiencing, know that you aren’t the only one with a broken heart. God’s heart is broken too. Today I am not going to tell you to cheer up or focus on the positive things in your life. Yes, those are important, but it’s also okay to sit and lament. God wants to remind you of the hope that comes with knowing everything will one day be restored, but He also understands that this isn’t heaven, and pain is a result of the sinful world we have as our temporary home. Whatever you are going through, God wants to meet you there. God wants to hold you tight and grieve with you. He wants to pour peace, love, and joy onto you while He mourns with you. Let your walls fall down and allow Him to enter into your heartbreak, so He can catch your tears (Psalm 56:8) and comfort you.
[…] or you have wounds that run deep. There is a time for mourning and lamenting (which I wrote about here), but it is not okay to stay in that place. There comes a time where we must move on and allow our […]