Blessed Are those Who Mourn

Reading: Matt. 5:4, 2 Cor. 7:8-11,

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." 

Matt. 5:4 NKJ

Often when we think of mourning we relate the word to the passing of a dear loved one. This last year has been a time of grief; many family members and friends have passed away. And there is great sorrow... the empty place at the table... even more difficult is the empty place in your heart, knowing you can't just pick of the phone and talk... get together and hang out. They are gone and we will not see them until we cross over into eternity, in Christ. Bereavement is certainly a trial that God will comfort us in and we can comfort one another in. 

Here are some verses speaking of God's wonderful comfort:

"Blessed be the God and 

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies 

and the God of all comfort, 

who comforts us in all our tribulation, 

that we may be able to 

comfort those who are in any trouble 

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 

2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4 NKJ

However, there is also another mourning spoken of in the Bible that is not necessarily bereavement, rather it refers to those who experience the sorrow of repentance. What is the sorrow of repentance?
Paul wrote two letters to the church of Corinth. In the first letter, he had to speak boldly to them concerning sin in the church. He said, "I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you... You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame." 1 Cor 5:1, 2 NLT  

In his next letter he wrote: "I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful for you for a little while. Now I am glad... not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants His people to have... For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There is no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves,... such zeal... " 2 Cor. 7:8-11 NLT

"For godly sorrow produces repentance 
leading to salvation, not to be regretted;
but the sorrow of the world produces death." 

2 Cor. 7:10 NKJ

Worldly sorrow is when we are sorry for suffering the consequences of our own behavior; but we are not repentant. The purpose of godly sorrow is to bring true repentance which is a change in behavior.

David is a good example of the sorrow of repentance and he writes in Psalms 51, after having sinned with Bathsheba and Uriah:

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; 
according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, 
blot out my transgressions. 
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 
and cleanse me from my sin. 
For I acknowledge my transgressions, 
and my sin is always before me. 
Against you and you alone have I sinned 
and done this evil in Your sight." 
Psalm 51:1-4 NKJ 

Notice how David perceives the nature and character of God. He saw God's mercy, loving kindness, and His tender mercies. The Lords glory is His nature, His mercy! David says later in Psalms "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy... For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy for those who fear Him..." Psalm 103:8-17 NKJ David understood the mercy of God and the blessings to those who revere and fear God. David was honest about his sin with Bathsheba, how he sinned against Uriah and how he sinned against Israel him being their King. However, He realized that first and foremost He sinned against God.  

"Against You and You alone have I sinned 

and done this evil in your sight."  

Psalm 51:4 NKJ 

When ever we sin, no matter who we hurt, most importantly, we have sinned against God. This is where godly sorrow and deep repentance begins. What does godly sorrow feel like? Have you ever had a really bad day and said something mean to someone you love? You see the pain in their face or later remember the pain in their face and you feel a deep sense of loss or sorrow. Maybe, this has been a pattern of behavior over months or years; and in a moment of reflection before God, you see the pain in the heart of the one you have hurt... you feel deep grief for the pain you have caused... you also grieve for the lost opportunity. Could those years of pain been have been years of closeness and joy instead? Maybe you have children, who were once little. Maybe you were going through a difficult time, and you were not emotionally available to them. Now the years have slipped away and so have those little voices who once needed you so much. Or maybe you have gotten so busy in the struggles of this life on earth, that you have lost your closeness with God. In any situation where you have sinned against someone, you have mainly sinned against God. Put simply, sin brings a sort of death... lost opportunity and broken relationships, especially with God. When through the Spirit of God we "see" the kind of loss described, there is a sense of mourning and grief that brings forth a passion for repentance... a passion for cleanness... a passion to be connected, to restore the brokenness in your soul and restore your closeness to God. The Spirit of God is there. His grace is available not only to forgive but also to deliver us from sin. He will give us power to change old ways we have never been able to change before and renew our relationship with Him. From this repentance comes the fruit bearing that yields growth and transformation.

How can the sorrow of repentance improve our relationships? "Repentance is an essential turning point in reconciled relationships; it requires ownership of our responsibility for whatever part we may have played in erecting or reinforcing barriers. Repentance not only accepts responsibility for the part we that we have played in the wall building, but also for the turning away from the behavior that built the walls in the first place." Kingdom Dynamics New Spirit Filled Life Bible

One of the hardest things to do in a relationship is to admit to doing something wrong and then to take responsibility for our part in the what went wrong. But when you have seen the problem through God's eyes, seen the pain you have caused, true repentance can make changes you never thought possible before.  In 2008, Pastor Rick Booye from Trail Christian Fellowship was teaching from Eph 4:24 - 5:2 and he said in closing comments: "Look for evidence of new life in your relationships, rather than your devotions. Am I becoming more kind, tenderhearted and forgiving? If necessary Lord, break my heart in order to heal it."

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, 
a broken and contrite heart.
These, O God, You will not despise."
Psalm 51:17 NKJ
 

"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:...
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance."
Ecc. 3:1,4 NKJ

 In weeping may your laughter will be sweeter and 
in mourning your dancing more joyous. 

When you are in deep sorrow over your sin, 
turn to God, and find His comfort and tender mercy.