Raw and Real: A Lesson In Lamenting
What does one do with the messy, raw, rough, painful, tragic emotions that life gives us while trying to stay faithful in our walk with God?
This was a question that I often wrestled with for years in my Christian walk. Early in my faith, the word “lament” wasn’t spoken of often. Who has time to talk about lamenting when you’re trying to nail down the concept and basics of Jesus, salvation, and eternal life? But as I grew in faith, I realized that life and trials don’t stop for anyone and trauma and tragedies are real and even more prevalent.
In the last few years, I’ve experienced more than my fair share of tragedies and trauma. I’m more than sure you have too. If you’re a believer in Christ, you KNOW and understand the messy middle of having to maintain your faith and trust in God while dealing with the blows of pain, anger, confusion amid such loss. It’s an extremely difficult place to be in.
Earlier this year, I discovered something in God's word that brought me much comfort and even some joy.
The Bible does not shy away from real, raw, painful emotions. In fact, it’s rather candid about them.
As of late, I’ve been studying the book of Job. It’s a fascinating and weighty book about God’s sovereignty, trauma, tragedy, how to reconcile our anguish in the thick of great loss, and restoration.
Job, a man considered righteous and blameless who had it all, ended up losing it all because of a conversation had between Satan and God in heaven. Unsuspecting of this heavenly conversation, Job endures a series of terrible and tragic events that Satan had caused because God had ultimately allowed it.
After the sequences of loss and death, Job is beyond broken but still blesses God. However, this doesn’t negate the pain, despondency, and anguish that Job feels. This is where he laments and though the language seems poetic and rather shocking, it’s raw, honest, and heartfelt.
When I had read Job 3 during my bible study, a thought-provoking question was asked: If you were to prayerfully put into words the difficult circumstances in your life today, how would your lament read?
This question struck a chord with me because I thought about how FREEING it was to know that Job’s words of brokenness were in the Bible. In time where people are dealing with deep pain like anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts more than ever, I found it astonishing and rather refreshing that God would speak about something like this in His word.
Job proves that walking with God and trusting in Him isn’t always sunshine and roses. While we can live a blessed and abundant life, we are also subject to hardship and tragedies too. Job’s lament crushes the twisted notion and concept that we as Christian HAVE TO BE emotionally sterile in hardship and wilderness seasons.
My response to this question was a candid and transparent one:
I keep a prayer journal. It's helping me walking through a LONG & PAINFUL season. After 5-6 years, it seems like it will never end. My lament is filled with anger, frustration, sadness, despondency, desperation, hope, tears, you name it. I wrestled with God’s sovereignty and His concept of His timing while trying to find and make peace with my current circumstances. It has NOT been easy.
Psalm 62:8 has been a pillar scripture for me to lean hard on because pouring my heart out to God means to trust in Him with good, bad, and ugly in the wait. My relationship with God has deepened because of this scripture.
God is not afraid of our deep, hard questions and broken emotions. He does not shut us down, cast us away or disregard the pain that we feel when dealing with tragedies, trauma, and loss. In fact, He comes nearer to us.
Job wasn’t the only one having to deal with the wreckage of life’s troubles. Others like Jonah, David, Elijah, and even Jesus had moments of lament. They cried out to God with raw emotions that would make the most pious religious leader shocked and outraged. God met them where they were at but also redeemed their story for something much bigger and better that changed the course of history forever.
Lamenting is not a bad thing. It proves that our hearts are tender to the sin, brokennes, destruction, and death in this messed up world. It’s a shared cry for justice while looking to God who will ultimately make everything right in His timing. We no longer have to hide our emotions, even the difficult ones that we can’t articulate, understand, or reconcile with.
Our laments are the pathway to a deep relationship with God. It brings God closer as we release what’s hurting us. Yes, the injustice, tragedies, and trauma seem wrong and unfair but thank God that we can be real with Him in this midst of hurting. God lovingly gives us an example of how we can lament and lament well while leaning into faith during our most difficult times. Best of all, these feelings won’t last forever.
How do you feel about lamenting to God? What comfort do you find about God giving us examples of lamenting? Drop a comment below.
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