Hidden Blessings in Sorrow

Sorrow comes without warning, and leaves deep wounds.

It was still dark when my husband was getting ready to leave for morning prayer with a brother in Christ. Then, faintly, I heard shouting, “Thief! Thief!”

I quickly got up and went to the living room. The front door was still open. That meant my husband had not left yet. I hurried to the kitchen, but he was not there. The stove was on, and his toothbrush with toothpaste on it was just lying there in the sink. I began to feel uneasy.

Not long after, my husband appeared at the front door, out of breath, his face pale, almost in tears. Then I learned that the shouting had been directed at the thief who had run off with our motorbike.

At that moment, I felt overwhelming sorrow…

Jesus Also Felt Sorrow

In general, sorrow comes when we lose someone or something we love. It can also come because we lose our health or a good opportunity. In short, loss is painful.

It is not only we who feel sorrow; the Lord Jesus did too. Jesus wept when Lazarus died (John 11:32-35); Jesus withdrew when He heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded (Matthew 14:13); and Jesus grieved in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the eve of His crucifixion (Mark 14:32-34).

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death ...” Mark 14:34b

Jesus experienced deep sorrow because He feared being separated from His Father. On the day of the crucifixion, God’s wrath over the sins of the whole world would be laid upon Him. Losing His relationship with the Father was the most sorrowful thing for Jesus.

Extreme Sorrow: Great Prophets Wanted to Die

The heavy pressures of life can cause someone to collapse, even a prophet. The prophet Elijah fled because he was afraid of Jezebel’s threat. He felt like a failure and wanted to die (1 Kings 19:2-4). Moses, no longer able to endure the grumbling of the Israelites and feeling that the responsibility was too heavy, asked God to kill him (Numbers 11:14-15).

Both Elijah and Moses were great figures. They were people who did mighty things in the name of the Lord. Yet at one point in their lives, they were struck down by sorrow and despair.

The good news is that they brought that sorrow and despair before the Lord. Because of that, they received refreshment and solutions to their problems, enabling them to rise again.

If even prophets once despaired and wanted to die, and the Lord Jesus once said He felt as if He could die, how much more we ordinary, weak human beings. But know this: when we experience sorrow, it is not the end of everything. Just as Jesus and the prophets were ultimately able to overcome their sorrow, we surely can too.

4 Ways to Overcome Sorrow

Here are several things we can do to reduce or overcome sorrow:

1. Come and Surrender to God in Prayer

Even though He was sorrowful and afraid, Jesus kept moving forward to fulfill His Father’s best plan. He came, surrendered, and poured out His feelings in prayer. Jesus needed to pray three times until He was ready to accept the cup of His suffering (Mark 14:39).

If we have prayed but our hearts are still sorrowful, perhaps it means we have not fully surrendered to the Lord. It is indeed not easy to let go, accept, or entrust something to another person. But believe that we are placing it into the hands of the One who has power over all things. God, who is greater than all problems, is able to give us strength, relief, peace, and a way out.

"My Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. – Luke 22:42-43

2. Share Your Feelings with the Right People

It is not good to pretend to be strong and keep sorrow bottled up. Instead of making us stronger, it actually makes it harder for us to rise again. When sorrow weighs heavily on our hearts, it is good for us to open up and ask for help from spiritual friends. They can offer advice and support us in prayer. We are not alone in going through all this.

Jesus was open about His feelings in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is true that His disciples’ response at that time was hardly helpful, because they fell asleep. Even so, the Son of Man showed that there are times when He too needed to express His feelings.

3. Write Down the Painful Experience

Take a sheet of paper and pour out your sorrow in the form of a narrative. Write in detail the date and place of the event, what happened, what you felt, and what you hoped for. Writing can make the heart feel more relieved and the burden lighter.

Someday, when we read that writing again and remember how crushed we were at the time, our gratitude will grow. How good God has been in leading us through difficult times.

4. Keep Yourself Busy with Positive Activities

Positive activities will help us rise up and forget our sorrow. Watching inspiring videos or listening to songs with meaningful lyrics and great music, especially when sung by a favorite singer, can help change our mood.

Help people who are in trouble. Roll up your sleeves in social service. This encourages us to forget our sorrow for a moment and see from a broader perspective. Perhaps there are others who are sadder than we are. Perhaps by taking some distance from our own problem, we can see it through a new lens. By helping others, indirectly we encourage ourselves.

Do not wait for your heart to be cheerful; do something to cheer your heart.

Blessing in Disguise

Bad things do not always have to bring us down. Sometimes sorrow can also bring hidden blessings.

The event above happened several years ago. Our motorbike was our most valuable possession at the time. We were newly married, still renting a house, and having to pay off another motorbike from scratch felt very heavy.

Yet we are grateful that God helped us through those difficult times. We learned to be more careful in looking after our belongings, while also not becoming attached to possessions, because all of them are only temporary trusts. We became a stronger couple because we remained united in heart and did not blame each other for what happened.

Sorrow always teaches us something. The decision to keep walking with God will one day bear sweet fruit. As time goes by, that sorrow also comes to an end. We become better people, more appreciative of life, and more empathetic toward others. We grow in wisdom and resilience in facing life.

Walk with God through times of sorrow, keep doing your best, and let Him shape us according to His plan. Let us go through it all with faith and hope. Amen.

*Church GKDI is currently in 35 cities. We have Bible Study activities in every area; if you need information or would like to get involved, contact us at contact Church GKDI Official: WhatsApp 0821 2285 8686 or Facebook / Instagram GKDI Official

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