If you’ve been paying attention, 2020 has been a hot mess.

The last 6 months (yep, it’s only been 6 months) have brought a lot of pain and confusion.

Australia brush fires that destroyed acres of land
The sudden death Kobe Bryant, a legend and hero to many
A worldwide pandemic that caused everything to come to an immediate stop
Murder hornets? I can’t even with that one
The death of George Floyd that sparked outrage (and rightly so)

And those are just a few horrible events that have happened in the last few months. We are surrounded by so much pain and suffering. So much in fact, that it can be very overwhelming.

However, pain isn’t a new concept. It’s been around since Genesis actually. Part of being a human is experiencing pain. Bummer, I know.

Whether you’ve experienced pain or you’ve seen those around you experience pain, it’s not surprising that the Bible would talk about suffering. From the mourning of Jerusalem in the book of Lamentations to over one-third of the 150 psalms and not to mention the last hours of Jesus’ life, there are many different pictures of suffering.

Scripture is soaked with moments of lament.

This should be a little comforting, knowing that you are not alone in pain. Not only does all of mankind cry out in suffering, but all of creation groans waiting for things to be made new (Romans 8:22).

When Adam and Eve sinned, pain was brought in to the world, along with suffering and death. We see this played out in our own lives. Whether we’ve been hurt by someone or have hurt someone else, we see the pain from sin expressed in sickness, broken relationships, addiction and abuse.

You get it.

You understand first hand, so I don’t have to talk about the reality of suffering in much detail.

However, I think it’s important that we know how to respond. When you’re presented with suffering and pain, what should you do?

The Bible gives us a way of communication when you feel overwhelmed by pain, distress, fear and loneliness.

WHAT IS A PRAYER OF LAMENT?

The cool thing about lament is that it is specifically for the Christian. Lament exists so that we can have a way of communicating our pain to our Father.

Lament is different than crying or complaining. Lament is a way of praying that acknowledges our suffering and expresses that suffering to God. When you step into a posture of lament, you are entering into a conversation with God about your pain and ultimately, trusting God with this pain.

God invites us to weep, to express our deepest pain and frustrations. Our expression of sorrow doesn’t scare Him. Really, the exact opposite happens. When we express our pain to Him, we are showing the confidence we have in God, knowing He is our ultimate source of hope.

In our culture today, we are surrounded by quick fixes and easy ways to escape reality. We are constantly encouraged to escape the hard things and step into the path of ease. But, God gives us a space for and invites us into the pain, knowing it will strengthen our faith (James 1:2-4).

It’s when we embrace our suffering that God does a beautiful work in our lives.

We see throughout passages of lamenting that as the writer walks through the pain they are experiencing, they are reminded of hope.

WHY DOES LAMENTING MATTER?

When the Christian laments, they are acknowledging that God is completely sovereign and good. We understand and trust that God is faithful and our only source of deliverance. We know that our hope is found in Jesus.

But, we still experience pain and suffering. And that’s why lamenting matters.

To experience pain and still seek God in the midst of it, that is the Christian life.

We long to be with Jesus and as we wait to be with Him, we will experience pain and sorrow. When we lament, we acknowledge the mourning and anticipate the coming of Jesus to end all that pain.

When the Christian chooses to lament, they choose faith. Instead of turning to anger or bitterness, those rooted in the love of God turn to God for help. To seek God, day after day, for help and deliverance takes endurance, faith and courage, remembering that God alone can help you.

Lament gives us a path towards God instead of letting sorrow lead you down a path away from Him.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

And why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

My salvation and my God.

Psalm 42:11

When we lament, we are able to keep a Biblical perspective on what’s going on around us. Just like Psalm 42, we can see the pain but still choose to walk in hope. We anticipate that one day God will make all things new. Lamenting acknowledges that sin has destroyed everything good and that Jesus is the only answer to this pain.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Revelation 21:4

One day, we will not need to lament. But for now, we have to keep being a light in this dark world.

We have to run to God, our true hope. It’s in the presence of God that we can correctly mourn and process the brokenness surrounding us. The beautiful thing is that we don’t mourn as those without hope. We long for the day that we will no longer experience mourning, suffering or pain.

Until then, we cry out in faith as David did in Psalm 13, “How Long, O Lord?”

by Emily LaGrone