Post by EvadingShadows on Jul 27, 2005 19:53:59 GMT -5
First off, this is long. I apologize ahead of time for its length. Secondly, it is a rather convoluted and may not make a lot of sense. That said, I think it is still worth reading. (If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have posted it!)
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"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
If we are blessed to mourn, then is mourning a good thing? If so, is it always good? Is all mourning comforted, or only certain types? What does it mean to mourn in a godly way? Why are we blessed if we mourn? Do I have things backwards—is it that comfort comes to those who mourn, or that we mourn so that we might be comforted and blessed by God?
I seem to be better at raising more questions than offering answers, but I think each is legitimate. If we don’t have a proper understanding of the Bible—a verse by verse understanding, as well as the overarching theme—then we are left without a foundation for our faith. I, for one, don’t want to be found derelict when it comes to studying the Word of God and how it applies to my life.
Let me take these one by one, extracting as much from the text and the questions as I can. I know I am not a scholar of any real formal training—nor am I especially gifted with insight. Yet I will do my best, as these questions have unceasingly coursed through my mind the past several months, and I feel that I must get my thoughts out in some fashion or another.
First of all, is mourning a good thing? It must be, as it is an aspect of God’s character; we often see God grieving over His wayward children. Likewise, Christ wept at Lazarus’ death. Do we dare say that He was not mourning truly, though He knew what was to come? Of course not! Connected is the question of appropriate mourning: must we qualify the mourning before it can be called good?
Jesus instructed Jairus and his family not to weep over their daughter, and the prophet Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn his wife’s passing. Thus we must conclude there are times when it is improper to mourn. Several years ago, I experienced God commanding me not to mourn. I had just severed a friendship with someone dear to me at His insistence, and was full of sorrow; yet, He would not let me feel that sorrow or to mourn over what happened. Instead, He flooded me with peace and joy like I’ve never known.
To tell you the truth, I was angry with God for the first and last time in my life when that happened. How dare He keep me from my rightful mourning!
Problem was, my focus was off. And He showed me why: I had subtly allowed my own feelings and skewed human logic to bring me to the determination that it was my right, my due, to mourn this thing when I should have thanked Him for His leading and His grace in the whole process.
Therefore I am forced to conclude that mourning is illegitimate if (1) it centers on oneself rather than on Christ, (2) if God has a greater purpose for His glory in the situation, and/or (3) if God desires to teach us a truth though the occurrence and mourning would impede His teaching. And so we can safely assume that not only would God not bless illegitimate mourning, He would also refuse to comfort those mourning.
Godly mourning is over sin, in a manner leading to repentance (II Corinthians 7:10 & 11—a few of my favorite verses). It is to align oneself with the Heart of God. (Which, incidentally, was part of my answer for the poor in spirit thread.) God is grieved and angered over sin; thus we should likewise mourn over sin. This will most certainly be blessed, as it following in His footsteps, and He love to bless that which is like Him, as He blesses Himself most of all.
How, then, is comfort attained? what does it entail? how is it practically played out in our lives? Comfort for this type of mourning is found in the absence of sin; or, positively, the presence of God. It is being wrapped up in the arms of our Father, free from worry and knowing that in Him we are protected from the power of sin forever. Right flows from Him, and thus so does our understanding of wrong. Since this is the case, we should live in a constant balance of mourning over sin and joy in His provision—and don’t think that these two are in any way contradictory, for they both are contained in the Personage of Christ—which means that comfort is simply another word for grace. The way in which we are practically comforted of our sorrow over sin is by His cleansing grace; indeed, comfort and grace should be synonymous in our minds.
I think the issue of why is always the hardest for me. No matter what the situation or topic, I just have to know why! Sometimes, God doesn’t tell me why—He merely tells me that His grace is enough. And so it is; so it is.
Here, though, delving into the why is by no means out of place. And so I will; so I will. Earlier, I was hit with an epiphanic moment when I stated that God loves to bless that which is like Him, because He loves to bless Himself above all. The words flowed unbidden, startling me with their import. I do hope the significance is not lost on you. He delights in Himself, and therefore must delight in us if we desire to be like Him. He will bless what He delights in. Thus mourning is a delight to Him! How can this be? Is not God happy? Indeed, entire theologies have been built on the concept of God’s happiness as the basis for our happiness.
Could it be, however, that we look only at the surface and see a contradiction without digging into the depths of God’s emotions? (As if we could truly fathom His depth!) To be happy does not preclude sorrow. Perhaps, just perhaps, His happiness would in some way be incomplete if He had no sorrow. What I mean is that if He did not abhor evil as something diametrically opposed to Who He Is, He would be ignoring part of His own character, thereby undermining His own happiness. Therefore, to mourn is intrinsic to His happiness, as His happiness is born of His delight and joy in His moral perfection, in the beauty of His holiness. What a mind-boggling God we serve!!!
The disparity between the ugliness of sin and the glories of righteousness sweetens the holiness of God, creating a clear contrast by which man may see and choose his master. To be like God, then, which is our calling, is to both mourn and to rejoice. And the more we are like Him, the more He will bless us and comfort us—but His blessing is always for His glory, not primarily for our own benefit. Yes, we benefit by it, but only because it is innate to being like Him. The real emphasis is His glory displayed in our lives as we reflect Him and make Him known to others.
So, if God’s happiness and sorrow are in some way flip sides of the same coin (poor metaphor, I know) then mourning should invariably drive us toward joy in the all-sufficient, soul-satisfying supremacy of God! Oh, that we would become broken-hearted mourners full of the joy of Christ!
A question of sequence now arises. What comes first? Does mourning come naturally, and then God comforts, or do we (should we?) see God’s heart, which leads us to mourn first, so that His blessing might abound? Or am I just tripping myself up with all of these intellectual gymnastics? Actually, I think that as is so prevalent with God, it is a combination of both.
(After I typed all of this up, I felt it necessary to insert a short addendum. It seems to me that our mourning is closely related to being poor in spirit in at least one aspect: that of the direction and end purpose. Mourning is an intensely personal experience, yet its ultimate goal should not be inward, but outward, first towards God and then to our fellow man. Personal sorrow and grief and mourning are small and even selfish if they do not expand our view to take in the suffering of the world. Much has been made of the social gospel, but not enough on its outflow from our own sufferings; indeed, the focus seems to be more self help than God exaltation)
I am in a very introspective mood tonight as I type this. All the fight seems to have gone out of me, as though God just reached down and let me see a glimpse of Him, and left me reeling in the implications: I am truly nothing. Nothing! And suddenly, it is a joy to me! Christ is rightfully all!
My friends, I’m filled with joy inexpressible at this moment. Sorrow and love are flowing into me in a sublime fusion of otherness; I know not how to describe it or even label it. Ah, what hope of glory awaits us—what beauty!
And, strangely, this leads me to my last major point. Mourning is an expression of sorrow, and therefore I will make this odd statement: mourning and grief, which we’ll call sorrow, are the strongest proofs of love. There is no greater evidence that love is real than the sorrow we feel.
Think about it. A good friend leaves, moves away; we feel sorrow. Why? Because we love the person! Sin occurs, and we sorrow over it. Why? Because we love the things of God! Billions of people are without Christ, and we are filled with agonizing sorrow (at least we should be). Why? Because God is recklessly, passionately, obsessively in love with mankind, and as His followers we yearn to love the things He loves! Thus sorrow is inextricably and irrevocably linked to love.
When we mourn, then, we are tasting the bittersweet sorrow of love. Why are we blessed if we mourn? Because mourning is evidence of our love! And God is love. So in a sense, we touch the very essence of God when we mourn. We draw closer to His heart. Ah... there is comfort and blessing indeed. Amen.
(Please note that though I have focused on mourning in a spiritual sense, I do not mean to discount mourning over other things. I do believe that God comforts all who mourn legitimately, and I do not wish to belittle the many painful experiences people have gone through in this life.)
Awake, Christians! Slumber no more, but mourn and be filled with joy and become inflamed with Hope! God bless!!!
~EvadingShadows
*******
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
If we are blessed to mourn, then is mourning a good thing? If so, is it always good? Is all mourning comforted, or only certain types? What does it mean to mourn in a godly way? Why are we blessed if we mourn? Do I have things backwards—is it that comfort comes to those who mourn, or that we mourn so that we might be comforted and blessed by God?
I seem to be better at raising more questions than offering answers, but I think each is legitimate. If we don’t have a proper understanding of the Bible—a verse by verse understanding, as well as the overarching theme—then we are left without a foundation for our faith. I, for one, don’t want to be found derelict when it comes to studying the Word of God and how it applies to my life.
Let me take these one by one, extracting as much from the text and the questions as I can. I know I am not a scholar of any real formal training—nor am I especially gifted with insight. Yet I will do my best, as these questions have unceasingly coursed through my mind the past several months, and I feel that I must get my thoughts out in some fashion or another.
First of all, is mourning a good thing? It must be, as it is an aspect of God’s character; we often see God grieving over His wayward children. Likewise, Christ wept at Lazarus’ death. Do we dare say that He was not mourning truly, though He knew what was to come? Of course not! Connected is the question of appropriate mourning: must we qualify the mourning before it can be called good?
Jesus instructed Jairus and his family not to weep over their daughter, and the prophet Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn his wife’s passing. Thus we must conclude there are times when it is improper to mourn. Several years ago, I experienced God commanding me not to mourn. I had just severed a friendship with someone dear to me at His insistence, and was full of sorrow; yet, He would not let me feel that sorrow or to mourn over what happened. Instead, He flooded me with peace and joy like I’ve never known.
To tell you the truth, I was angry with God for the first and last time in my life when that happened. How dare He keep me from my rightful mourning!
Problem was, my focus was off. And He showed me why: I had subtly allowed my own feelings and skewed human logic to bring me to the determination that it was my right, my due, to mourn this thing when I should have thanked Him for His leading and His grace in the whole process.
Therefore I am forced to conclude that mourning is illegitimate if (1) it centers on oneself rather than on Christ, (2) if God has a greater purpose for His glory in the situation, and/or (3) if God desires to teach us a truth though the occurrence and mourning would impede His teaching. And so we can safely assume that not only would God not bless illegitimate mourning, He would also refuse to comfort those mourning.
Godly mourning is over sin, in a manner leading to repentance (II Corinthians 7:10 & 11—a few of my favorite verses). It is to align oneself with the Heart of God. (Which, incidentally, was part of my answer for the poor in spirit thread.) God is grieved and angered over sin; thus we should likewise mourn over sin. This will most certainly be blessed, as it following in His footsteps, and He love to bless that which is like Him, as He blesses Himself most of all.
How, then, is comfort attained? what does it entail? how is it practically played out in our lives? Comfort for this type of mourning is found in the absence of sin; or, positively, the presence of God. It is being wrapped up in the arms of our Father, free from worry and knowing that in Him we are protected from the power of sin forever. Right flows from Him, and thus so does our understanding of wrong. Since this is the case, we should live in a constant balance of mourning over sin and joy in His provision—and don’t think that these two are in any way contradictory, for they both are contained in the Personage of Christ—which means that comfort is simply another word for grace. The way in which we are practically comforted of our sorrow over sin is by His cleansing grace; indeed, comfort and grace should be synonymous in our minds.
I think the issue of why is always the hardest for me. No matter what the situation or topic, I just have to know why! Sometimes, God doesn’t tell me why—He merely tells me that His grace is enough. And so it is; so it is.
Here, though, delving into the why is by no means out of place. And so I will; so I will. Earlier, I was hit with an epiphanic moment when I stated that God loves to bless that which is like Him, because He loves to bless Himself above all. The words flowed unbidden, startling me with their import. I do hope the significance is not lost on you. He delights in Himself, and therefore must delight in us if we desire to be like Him. He will bless what He delights in. Thus mourning is a delight to Him! How can this be? Is not God happy? Indeed, entire theologies have been built on the concept of God’s happiness as the basis for our happiness.
Could it be, however, that we look only at the surface and see a contradiction without digging into the depths of God’s emotions? (As if we could truly fathom His depth!) To be happy does not preclude sorrow. Perhaps, just perhaps, His happiness would in some way be incomplete if He had no sorrow. What I mean is that if He did not abhor evil as something diametrically opposed to Who He Is, He would be ignoring part of His own character, thereby undermining His own happiness. Therefore, to mourn is intrinsic to His happiness, as His happiness is born of His delight and joy in His moral perfection, in the beauty of His holiness. What a mind-boggling God we serve!!!
The disparity between the ugliness of sin and the glories of righteousness sweetens the holiness of God, creating a clear contrast by which man may see and choose his master. To be like God, then, which is our calling, is to both mourn and to rejoice. And the more we are like Him, the more He will bless us and comfort us—but His blessing is always for His glory, not primarily for our own benefit. Yes, we benefit by it, but only because it is innate to being like Him. The real emphasis is His glory displayed in our lives as we reflect Him and make Him known to others.
So, if God’s happiness and sorrow are in some way flip sides of the same coin (poor metaphor, I know) then mourning should invariably drive us toward joy in the all-sufficient, soul-satisfying supremacy of God! Oh, that we would become broken-hearted mourners full of the joy of Christ!
A question of sequence now arises. What comes first? Does mourning come naturally, and then God comforts, or do we (should we?) see God’s heart, which leads us to mourn first, so that His blessing might abound? Or am I just tripping myself up with all of these intellectual gymnastics? Actually, I think that as is so prevalent with God, it is a combination of both.
(After I typed all of this up, I felt it necessary to insert a short addendum. It seems to me that our mourning is closely related to being poor in spirit in at least one aspect: that of the direction and end purpose. Mourning is an intensely personal experience, yet its ultimate goal should not be inward, but outward, first towards God and then to our fellow man. Personal sorrow and grief and mourning are small and even selfish if they do not expand our view to take in the suffering of the world. Much has been made of the social gospel, but not enough on its outflow from our own sufferings; indeed, the focus seems to be more self help than God exaltation)
I am in a very introspective mood tonight as I type this. All the fight seems to have gone out of me, as though God just reached down and let me see a glimpse of Him, and left me reeling in the implications: I am truly nothing. Nothing! And suddenly, it is a joy to me! Christ is rightfully all!
My friends, I’m filled with joy inexpressible at this moment. Sorrow and love are flowing into me in a sublime fusion of otherness; I know not how to describe it or even label it. Ah, what hope of glory awaits us—what beauty!
And, strangely, this leads me to my last major point. Mourning is an expression of sorrow, and therefore I will make this odd statement: mourning and grief, which we’ll call sorrow, are the strongest proofs of love. There is no greater evidence that love is real than the sorrow we feel.
Think about it. A good friend leaves, moves away; we feel sorrow. Why? Because we love the person! Sin occurs, and we sorrow over it. Why? Because we love the things of God! Billions of people are without Christ, and we are filled with agonizing sorrow (at least we should be). Why? Because God is recklessly, passionately, obsessively in love with mankind, and as His followers we yearn to love the things He loves! Thus sorrow is inextricably and irrevocably linked to love.
When we mourn, then, we are tasting the bittersweet sorrow of love. Why are we blessed if we mourn? Because mourning is evidence of our love! And God is love. So in a sense, we touch the very essence of God when we mourn. We draw closer to His heart. Ah... there is comfort and blessing indeed. Amen.
(Please note that though I have focused on mourning in a spiritual sense, I do not mean to discount mourning over other things. I do believe that God comforts all who mourn legitimately, and I do not wish to belittle the many painful experiences people have gone through in this life.)
Awake, Christians! Slumber no more, but mourn and be filled with joy and become inflamed with Hope! God bless!!!
~EvadingShadows