“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4

My life has been characterized by episodes when no number of tears was enough to express the pain and anguish that I felt in my soul.

On some occasions, I’ve asked God, ‘Why me’?

Of course, I am not alone.

But why does God allow painful things to happen to His people?

Naturally, people shun pain, loss and suffering. 

In an effort to evade mourning and lament, we tend to cling onto what we have and try to do everything to avoid loss and bereavement.

Paradoxically, our Lord Jesus teaches that those who mourn are “blessed.”

The Greek word used for ‘mourn’ is ‘penthos,’ which means to ‘lament,’ – “to express passionate grief about something such as a loss.”

In the Bible, there are approximately 60 psalms that can be classified as ‘laments,’ including individual, communal and national laments.

Take for instance, Psalm 13. On four occasions in the short psalm, the psalmist asks, “How long?”

“How long will You forget me, O LORD? forever?” (Psalm 13:1).

The psalmists used lament as a form of protest against injustice, allowing the God’s people to voice their grievances and demand justice.

Indeed, as the above psalm shows, biblical laments often follow a pattern that includes an address to God, a complaint, a request for help, and a vow to praise after God’s intervention.

The book of Lamentations provides another model for personal lament, encouraging the believer to express her emotions and struggles to God.

Lamentations exhorts believers not to be ashamed to communicate their feelings and hardships to God.

One of the most devastating moments in Jewish history—the fall of Jerusalem and the accompanying 50-year exile in Babylon—is the central theme of the book of Lamentations.

The ruin of Jerusalem, the anguish of God’s people, and the apparent desertion by God are all vividly portrayed in this book.

Human struggles with the meaning of pain and suffering are best illustrated by mourning, which means it can be a call to introspection, repentance and spiritual rejuvenation.

That’s why Ecclesiastes 7:2 says it is better to be in a house where people are mourning than in one where there is feasting.

Mourning can prompt individuals to find closure, and to develop new coping mechanisms and strategies for dealing with adversity.

Indeed, according to psychology, mourning a loss such as a bereavement is something to be encouraged given its positive effects.

For example, mourning can prompt individuals to find closure, and to develop new coping mechanisms and strategies for dealing with adversity.

They say it’s not good when a person loses a loved one and doesn’t mourn him/her.

Mourning can lead to post-traumatic growth, where individuals experience increased appreciation for life or improved relationships with the loved that are still alive.

Similarly, by enabling the pouring out of the pain and anguish in one’s soul before God, mourning paradoxically strengthens the relationship between the believer and God, affirming faith even in times of distress. 

So, instead of shunning mourning, let’s appreciate its full theological context, acknowledging the reality of human suffering while affirming faith in God’s sovereignty and Providence.

Isaiah 57:18-19 says; “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.”

In James 4:9-10, the Bible admonishes arrogant and self-conceited believers: “Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”