Shedding tears in this world is not a matter of if, only a matter of when.
There’s nothing wrong with shedding tears.
I was speaking with a friend the other day and he was telling me about his financial hardships. He was going over how things were getting tough around the house, and how he was working hard to make life better. He had been crying. I responded with words of encouragement and said, “Don’t worry. God knows what you need. It’s going to be ok! He will respond to your needs!”
He replied, “I know but the pain is still radiating and my tears are what God has given me to relieve the pain.” I took me a while to understand why he felt the need to give me a reason to why he was crying. Then it hit me: He thought I was telling to stop crying when I was trying to provide spiritual comfort.
Any biblical response to a bad situation is not a call to “Toughen up Buttercup”. It’s recognizing you may not be able to do anything about the situation, you serve a mighty God that can. My Bible tells me that with God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). The shedding of tears may be a sign of weakness to some, but that’s weakness made perfect in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 12:9). Tears are a human response to relieve the body of physical pain. The removal of that response can evolve into a sinful nature that was never meant to engage. But because you were hurting, you were vulnerable, and you needed a release.
Let’s shed some tears. Don’t turn to adultery, drugs, or over eating. Don’t let Satan’s voice whisper in your ear to end it all. NO. I want you to have a good cry, but in that moment, I want you talk through those tears to a God that loves you. Jesus gives us a perfect model to dealing with our tears. Jesus wept when he approached the tomb of Lazarus (John 11: 35- 38). But in his groaning, the text explains, he was moving towards a spiritual response. That response not only raised his friend from the dead, but was a confirmation to all he is God’s Son! (John 11: 39-44). God works through the spiritual to address the physical! Let His Divine nature take control and not only be victorious, but a testimony to others who may also be suffering.
When God is ready to use you, tears will dry up. Why? Because you’re entering into a different form and function. Tears serve a purpose. Don’t ever think you’re wrong for crying. Don’t get defensive when people come to you with spiritual comfort. When giving spiritual comfort, let the recipient understand it’s ok to cry. But, let them know that God is in control, and that the brokenness won’t last forever. If we had more people shedding tears, and even more people comforting them with God’s Word, who knows how that would affect bullying, suicides, crime in general. It’s ok to cry. Never forget that.
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