Mourning

 How do we deal with the aftermath of sin in our lives?

As a man, as a “guy” in line with stereotype, I am prone to think logically and realistically about most things, void of emotion. In fact in my military training I have been taught be void of emotion in certain circumstances because often times it leads to poor decision making - don’t make decisions based off of emotions but based off of the facts. We’ve all heard the adage. 

How do we as men reconcile this tendency of ours? Especially in light of our own sin? If we are truly to view our sin realistically then we should be crippled with emotion, and not so easily stoic as if we are guaranteed a contract of forgiveness. 

Reading in James 4 we find an exhortation in light of this topic : “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. LAMENT and MOURN and WEEP! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” 

This passage hit me like a brick wall. I am being told to weep. I am being told that my sin should affect (If I am viewing it correctly) me to such an extent that all of my joy is turned to gloom. Not to receive pity from the sight of others, not to be given encouragement from others, but to humble myself, and allow the Lord to do the lifting in his time. 

In the same day I was confronted by this passage in James  I also read from 1 Corinthians and I think it provides guidance on how to actually carry out this gloom that we are charged with having in light of our sin. 

In chapter 7 Paul says that he is not rejoicing because the Corinthians were made sorry, but because their sorrow led to something - it was genuine in that it resulted in something. Repentance. He goes on to say that “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” but that “The sorrow of the world produces death.” He knows the Corinthians were sorrowful in a Godly manner because “What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication!” 

So do lament, do weep and do mourn. But do not do so in a worldly manner. Do so in humility and do so for a purpose. Weep and mourn for the sin that is within you in that it would lead to true repentance and salvation, that it would ignite within you a fervor for righteousness, that it would produce within you diligence, and a vehement desire to walk rightly.