There is a Time for Sadness, Crying and Mourning

“They are blessed who grieve for God will comfort them.”- Matthew 5:4

As Christians, we need to turn to the Holy Scriptures and not to how the world thinks we should feel or act when we are sad and want to cry or mourn. The non-believing world views crying, being sad, and mourning as a negative thing. Some people believe crying is a sign of weakness or if someone is not happy that they are not being joyful in their circumstances. That is not the truth according to the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 states there is a time for everything. It includes a time to cry, a time to be sad, and a time to mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:4). It is okay to be sad and cry – Jesus did, so why can’t we? The Bible mentions Him crying three times. He cried when He saw the pain of His friends after Lazarus died (John 11:32-44). Jesus also cried over Jerusalem because of their sins (Luke 19:41-42). He cried in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was crucified because He knew about the suffering He was about to endure (Hebrews 5:7). Jesus was a man who was not afraid or ashamed of showing real human emotion by crying and grieving.

God views sadness, crying, and mourning as a “good” thing because we can go to Him for comfort. While alive, we will go through times of trouble that will cause us to mourn and cry, but these experiences are temporary (John 16:33). In heaven, there will be no more sadness, pain, or crying and God will be there to wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4).

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

Our Savior, Jesus cried and mourned while He was on earth, so why can’t we? The world tells us that crying is a sign of weakness but according to Your Word, we are blessed when we are sad because we have You to comfort us. We need to be comforted because life is hard and during the pain You promise to be there with us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!