“Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
I once heard a funeral message given by my dad on this verse that spoke to me.
Some people feel that tears and faith don’t mix, but that is not what the Bible teaches at all. Tears are the language of the soul. They allow us to express ourselves when words are not adequate. Grieving is a God-given mechanism for expressing our loss. Throughout the Bible we see many grieving over the loss of a loved one. When Sarah died, Abraham went to mourn and weep for her. When his son Absalom died, David wept and cried out, “I wish I had died instead of you.” Jesus attended the funeral of his friend Lazarus and we are told that he wept. If Abraham, David, and Jesus mourned, certainly God gives us the freedom to mourn as well.
Through mourning you can express your loss, gratitude, hurt. It isn’t until we hurt that we begin to heal. It isn’t until we cry that we are consoled. It isn’t until our tears fall that a rainbow can form. One scientist studied tears and concluded that there are 3 chemicals produced in tears when peeling onions, but there are 14 chemicals in grief tears. God created us with this grieving mechanism and when we allow ourselves to feel our hurts and grieve, then we begin to heal.
God is described in scripture as the “God of all comfort who comforts us in all our sorrows.” He is the one who “Draws near to the brokenhearted and to those who are crushed in spirit.” So, if you are going through a loss, don’t stifle your grieving process. Grieve with God and allow yourself to heal in His presence. And bear in mind that “We grieve, but not as those who have no hope, for our hope is in the Lord.”