0606 GODLY SORROW

GODLY SORROW

Sorrow is never something we want to have. Yet, life on earth is not possible without a large amount of it. We have sorrow because of loss, or because of physical ailment. They are unavoidable, sooner or later. We also have sorrow because of offenses, both those that are done to us and those that we have done to others. Again, sooner or later, such conflicts are inevitable. And we have sorrow because of unfulfilled expectations and disappointments, which just goes to show you should never get your hopes up in this life, right? Well, no. And yet . . . It does make you think. 

We pray against sorrow. We work to keep it away. But sorrow must find us, or (if you think about it), we will not know true joy, either. However, keep in mind that sorrow was not God’s Plan A for us. Plan A involved no death, and no sin. That means no loss, and no self-inflicted regrets. What’s more, keep in mind that Plan A gets restored in the end! In the New Jerusalem, where there will be no more tears, sorrow (no more sorrow! Hooray!) or crying, for the former things are passed away, and behold, he makes all things new.

So, since sorrow cannot be avoided, how do we make the most of it now? How does God, who seems to specialize in restoration, restore us in sorrow?

This introduces a term Paul uses: “Godly sorrow.” It refers to the kind of sorrow that the Holy Spirit brings upon us and works in us to renew and give hope. As Paul says it in this chapter, Godly sorrow brings repentance. And repentance leads to salvation. And salvation leaves no regret. 

It is worldly sorrow that leads to death, and death is an unending sorrow, where there is bitterness and weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So, you ask, if I must face sorrow in my life, how do I pursue sorrow that is godly? Let’s see Paul’s paragraph about it. He wrote to the Corinthians and told them sternly to repent. It hurt to be told by their spiritual father that they had failed. But here is how Paul describes the outcome of that harsh letter.

“Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7:8-11‬ ‭NIV

Here is what seems to be the secret to sorrow‬‬ that brings healing:

1. It hurts. But only for a little while. The sorrow it brings leads to repentance for the part of the sorrow that is my fault.
2. This is being sorrowful that way that God intended. When that happens, we stop looking around or casting blame on others, and we look inside to let the Spirit fix ourselves.
3. This godly sorrow becomes motivation to find healing through earnestness, an eagerness to clear yourself. The pain is bad, but you have hope that it can be fixed if you have indignation about the effects of sin in you.
4. Godly sorrow alarms you and sets within you a longing to go back to the Garden.
5. Godly sorrow stirs up longing for the New Jerusalem to do its healing work. We love the day of His appearing. We hasten his return 
6. We feel a deeper concern, now that we have felt sorrow, and we have a readiness to see justice done. The pain is our motivator, for we remember life without sorrow, so we work to fix it. 
7. And, at last, we return to the state of innocence before the LORD that we once knew, and will know again.

Do we ever want to face sorrow? No, we don’t. But that sorrow that could have been avoided, had we simply chosen godliness, helps us to do the work of repentance, and to find the seasons of refreshing that come in its wake.

May you know abundant life and seasons of refreshing. And may all your sorrows be godly. Amen.