DEALING WITH MY EMOJIS – Part 2

Sadness

May 24, 2020
Randy Hageman

Some Christians think we should never be

.

When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.… Jesus wept. —John 11:33,35 (ESV)

But as [Jesus] came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. —Luke 19:41 (NLT)

Jesus mourned; he grieved; he wept; there were times the only perfect person who ever lived was sad, and it wasn’t

for him to feel that way.

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. —Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)

God created us with the emotion of sadness, not as a

but because there are times when it’s needed, healthy, and appropriate.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. —Romans 12:15 (ESV)

Christians aren’t to run from sadness but share in it

.

And [Epaphroditus] certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. —Philippians 2:27 (NLT)

For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. —Philippians 3:18 (NLT)

For Paul and followers of Jesus, our godly sorrow is evidence of our

for others.

For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. —2 Corinthians 2:4 (ESV)

Sadness and mourning is also one way we express our

to God when we’ve sinned.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. —James 4:8-10 (NLT)

Lament – to express

emotions to God when life isn’t going as planned.

David said to him, ‘Where do you come from?’ And he said to him, ‘I have escaped from the camp of Israel.’ And David said to him, ‘How did it go? Tell me.’ And he answered, ‘The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.’ —2 Samuel 1:3-4 (ESV)

David called for an

time and means of mourning and sadness.

And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah…. —2 Samuel 1:17-18 (ESV)

Lament doesn’t solve the questions of why or how, but it does provide a way for God’s people to bring their suffering and sadness to

and to cope with it.

Apparently, God thinks that lamenting is a

thing.

Typically, we have a couple of preferred ways to deal with sadness and loss –

and

Reveal Answer

.

There is no attempt in Scripture to whitewash the anguish of God’s people when they undergo suffering. They argue with God, they complain to God, they weep before God. Theirs is not a faith that leads to dry-eyed stoicism, but to a faith that is so robust it wrestles with God. —D.A. Carson

Sadness & laments are ways God helps you and me

the painful reality in front of us.

I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. —Psalms 6:6-7 (NLT)

This lament is brutally honest – David is bringing his pain straight to God – but, at the same time, it’s not

.

…we’re in a story in which everything eventually comes together, a narrative in which the puzzling parts finally fit, about which years later we exclaim, ‘Oh, so that’s what that meant!’ But being in a story means that we mustn’t get ahead of the plot—skip the hard parts, erase the painful parts, detour the disappointments. Lament—making the most of our loss without getting bogged down in it—is a primary way of staying in the story. God is telling the story, remember. It’s a large story. He doesn’t look kindly on our editorial deletions. —Eugene Peterson

When we take our sadness to God in a lament, we’re acknowledging that there is

to the story than we see yet, and we trust Him to see us through it.

Our sadness and laments can enable us to have more

for others and what they’re going through.

Henri Nouwen’s “wounded healers” allowed their previous sorrows to give them insight and empathy to others so that

could use them to help others find healing.

Lament opens us up to

with others who are suffering or been through a lot, while self-pity just focuses on ourselves and how badly we’re feeling and causes us to

Reveal Answer

from others.

THERE IS HOPE AND EVEN REASONS FOR JOY…

• If we are followers of Jesus Christ, our

are set with him, and there’s nothing in this world, no hurt or sorrow or pain, that can take that away from us.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. —Romans 8:18 (ESV)

• Our sadness and sorrow are things God uses to

our faith and trust in Him, to help us become more and more like Christ and fulfil his purposes for our lives.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. —James 1:2-4 (NLT)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28 (NIV)

• One day God will take

all our sadness and grief forever.

He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! —Isaiah 25:8 (NLT)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’ And he also said, ‘It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. —Revelation 21:1-7 (NLT)

• Bring your sadness and sorrow to God, entrust them to Him, and claim the

He has for you.

Next Week: Loneliness