“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
Have you ever done something wrong? Something that is so bad that when you come face-to-face with its depravity you hide your head under the proverbial covers.
When I was a little boy my covers comforted me. No matter what monsters were in my closet, under my bed, are in the shadows – my covers kept me calm. I’ve faced my childhood monsters and lived to tell about it, but as an adult I face something much scarier every day. Me. My internal thoughts and feelings are enough to make a grown man blush. There aren’t any covers to hide under when I am the thing that I’m most afraid of. I mourn who I am, but Jesus comforts me. He says,
“It’s ok, that’s not who you are anymore.”
“My child, I have big plans for you. I’m proud of the person you are becoming.”
“Run hard to the finish line, I know you can do it!”
“I’m right here with you every step of the way.”
“I love you.”
But it doesn’t stop with me. Once I begin to recognize my depravity I see depravity all around. I see it in my family, friends, my city, on TV, and all across the world. Again He says,
“…in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John16: 33
MOURNING IS…
- Seeing Depravity
It’s not hard to see brokenness when we slow down. As a matter fact, it’s really easy to see brokenness all around us. We see people get angry, killed, ignore the needs of others, lie, cheat, and steal. These are just surface cracks. Seeing the depths of our depravity becomes hard when we begin to look beyond the surface.
What could God be asking you to do to better see our depravity?
To see depravity we must:
- Align with scripture
- Pray for eyes to see
- Get in the game by mourning depravity
- Seeing God’s Beauty
Contrary to what we’ve been told, beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. Rather, it flows from the hands of the Creator. Not an arbitrary thing, not something up for grabs, beauty is created and defined by God.
– Fernando Ortega
There’s beauty all around, to see God’s beauty is not always easy. Jesus disciples missed it time and time again. He had the take time to reveal it to them. The widows offering, feeding the 5000, healing a man on the Sabbath, and the crucifixion revealed God’s beauty. Christ wants to continue to reveal his beauty to us.
What could God be asking you to do to better see God’s beauty?
It requires that we:
- Have a healthy understanding of depravity
- Align with scripture
- Pray for eyes to see
- Get in the game by celebrating God’s beauty
When we begin to see how Jesus is redeeming the world versus the depravity of the world, we can begin to receive his comfort.
- Standing in the Gap
Scripture says that we are in ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We stand in the gap, mourning the brokenness of the world, and revealing a better way through Christ.
Who would’ve thought mourning could change the world. Who would’ve thought that mourning could motivate people to action? God did.
What’s next for you?
