Recap
• Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
• God has designed for us to live with stress, but we, as much as possible, we should not live in distress.
• We considered that one reason for dropout from church service is not because the burnout is happening at church, but is due to a lack of Sabbath rest in life.
• We also noted how burnout can come from our doing exceeding our being. We cannot out-serve our surrender. Spiritual disciplines and personal feasting on the Lord are a necessity to avoid burnout.
But let’s say we are beginning to feel overwhelmed, unsettled, and burned out. We are starting to feel the fight or flight response. What do you do?
• It is unhealthy to suppress those emotions.
• Historically, we would turn to our communities, our families, friends, and church families for support. That kind of expression in a safe environment provided strength.
• The safest target for your complaint is God, the safe environment is in prayer, and the right method of expression is lament.
Does God really want to hear my lament or my complaint?
• Philippians 2:14 | Do all things without grumbling…
• This is why it takes a whole Bible to make a whole disciple. One writer at Desiring God said, “The Bible is filled with this song of sorrow…The book of Lamentations weeps over the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus lamented in the final hours of his life.”
• Another said, “God must think it’s okay for us to gripe–there are more lament psalms than any other kind in the Old Testament.”
What is lament?
• To lament is to mourn, grieve, or express deep sorrow over something
• Emotion is messy and sometimes we are convinced that we should hold it in – and there are times where we should. But there is place where emotion is always right and welcome – in the presence of God.
• Pastor and Author Glenn Packiam puts it this way:
// But in the psalms, Israel asks God to answer according to His unfailing love, because He is a God of justice and righteousness, and because He has been faithful in the past. By contrasting Israel in the wilderness with Israel in worship, we can say that a complaint is an accusation against God that maligns His character, but a lament is an appeal to God based on confidence in His character”
// On a Saturday morning, when my wife and I are trying to sleep in until that luxurious hour of 8am but our younger children are hungry for breakfast, they don’t run outside to the neighbor begging for food. They come boldly into our bedroom asking for what they need. ‘Will you please make me some eggs?!’ We are tempted in those moments to get upset, but we should be honored by their request. It is in itself proof of our relationship with them.
// The reverse of this scene is tragically described by Dr. Russell Moore in his book, Adopted for Life. Moore describes going to an orphanage in Russia as they were in the process of pursuing adoption. The silence from the nursery was eerie. The babies in the cribs never cried. Not because they never needed anything, but because they had learned that no one cared enough to answer. Children who are confident of the love of a caregiver cry. For the Christian, our lament, when taken to our Father in heaven, is proof of our relationship with God, our connection to a great Caregiver”
Considering Lament
• Glenn Packiam (The Intentional Year) >> The Psalms are like a greeting card— pre-written prayers to help us express thanks, praise, cries for help, lament, sorrow, repentance and more to God. They are like language school for our vocabulary of prayer. Since our native tongue is selfishness, if we were to “just pray from our heart”, we might be tempted to pray selfishly. The Psalms shape our prayers. More than that, they actually open us up to become aware of emotions we would rather hide or suppress. The Psalms unlock our soul and give them language.
• Over a third of the Psalms are laments.
• Psalms of Lament >> 6, 10, 13, 25, 38, 42, 43, 44, 52, 60, 74, 79, 80, 85, 86, 90, 130
• Let’s consider one example psalm of lament that informs our understanding of what lament consists of – Psalm 52
Elements of Biblical Lament
• Address to God: Laments typically begin with a direct address to God, acknowledging His presence and power.
• Complaint or Description of Suffering: The core of a lament is the expression of pain, suffering, or injustice. The lament often details specific troubles or describes the emotions of the lamenter. This may include personal grief, communal disaster, or a sense of abandonment by God.
• Confession or Trust: Despite the pain and questioning inherent in a lament, there is often a confession of trust in God. This reflects the lamenter’s faith and the acknowledgment of God’s past faithfulness and ability to rescue and heal.
• Petition: asking God for help
• Expression of Assurance or Praise: Many biblical laments conclude with a statement of assurance or a return to praise. This may involve a declaration of trust in God’s future deliverance, an affirmation of God’s goodness, or a vow to praise God once the lamenter is delivered.
• Vindication: In some cases, the lamenter asks for God to vindicate them in the face of enemies or to demonstrate justice, reinforcing a sense of moral order and divine justice.
• Theological Reflection: Laments often include reflections on the nature of God, human suffering, and the mysteries of divine providence. These can provide insights into the relationship between human beings and the divine, and the role of suffering in spiritual growth.