Lamentation

Sometimes life goes well for the Christian. Job, family, relationships, ministry...all in states of healthiness and all thriving.

Sometimes, however, the life of a Christian, just like the life of any other person living in this fallen world...sucks.

I'm living in one of these times. Thankfully, not all of the aspects of my life are difficult, which is probably why I am still standing upright and speaking in coherent sentences. My job is fulfilling; there is no romance, but I still have pretty good relationships with my friends near and far; the ministries I am involved in seem to be doing well, doing good things. Family...well, not so great.

Details of that aside, I have come into a state of what I believe is healthy Christian mourning or lamentation. No person is going to rejoice when their family is having problems; they will most likely be a little downcast, a little sad. There is no reason to "suck it up" or "smile through the pain", especially when I think about the Biblical books of Job or Lamentations. It's OK to admit that life sucks sometimes. The world is in a sorry state, and it's OK to cry about that, too. Righteous tears and indignation will hopefully spur me to prayer and action.

After all, I still have the eternal joy of knowing Jesus, and I still have a whole lot of good happening in my world. I'm not about to jump off a cliff. I just need to cry a little. It has nothing to do with hormones or with being a girl, it has to do with being a human being in a fallen world.

PSALM 42

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.