A Good Cry: Learning To Lament In Troubled Times

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. Matthew 27.

We don’t often think about Jesus crying. Yet, here He is. The sin of the world, the physical torture, and the spiritual separation causes Him to cry out to the Father. It’s a prayer of lament, angst, frustration, and pain.

It is also a prayer that is thoroughly Biblical. You see these laments all throughout the Scriptures, one book of your Old Testament is aptly named Lamentations. These prayers are raw, at times angry, full of grief, and sometimes hard to read. 

Jesus is quoting Psalm 22 from the cross. Click here to read the whole thing. The Psalmist teaches us how to lament and cry out to God the right way.

It Starts With Honesty: God can handle our honest prayers.  As we read through the book of Psalms, the lesson becomes clear, God encourages us to be authentic with Him. If we are frustrated, angry, or discouraged…. we should tell God. Jesus did from the cross. Cry out to Him. Be honest. Be raw. Healing begins with honesty.

It Moves To Praise: A good lament always turns to praise. It is a steadfast commitment to give God the honor, glory, and praise He deserves. Even when we are frustrated or angry God deserves our praise. Our praise is based on who He is not on what we are going through right now.

It Remembers The Past: A good lament takes time to remember that life hasn’t always been this way. There have been times of abundance, blessing, and happiness in our recent past.

It Looks Forward To The Future: A good lament remembers that life won’t always be this way. There will be times of abundance, blessing, and happiness in our future. This is a season and seasons change.

Lament and mourning are not in opposition to faith, they are a core part of it.  Sometimes we need a good cry when we look at our circumstances, but we want to make sure to lift our eyes to the God of the universe and remember…He loves us, provides for us, and has a plan for us.