Lament

Welcome to my season of lament.

At its core, lament literally means to wail. It is defined as an outward expression of grief, painful sadness or even regret. Because this world is not how it should be, lament is a healthy response to the pain and chaos that exists.

God is not offended by our lament. In fact, He provides words to aid our expression. The Psalms are full of lament. And Jeremiah wrote Lamentations in response to His grief over Israel. These writings are full of complaint, even anger, sometimes pointed directly at God. But they are words venting honest feelings in the moment.

Yet true lament is a sign of faith and always leads to praise. It reveals our intimacy with a God who loves us and is willing to bear our venting, however unfair. Lament isn’t complaint about God to others, but taking our grievance directly to Him, even if done publicly. When we approach God in lament, in complaint, we are trusting in His character and His love, which will always lead us to praise. God-directed lament helps me to have the chutzpah to trust amidst the pain.

God is ever our Provider. When the well of pain is deep, He gives our soul a way of release. He gives the Spirit as a Teacher and Comforter. He hears our cry and He cries with us. It would also be beneficial to cultivate the practice of lament within the church as a way of welcoming those who are hurting and fostering our own honest conversations with God.  

NT Wright said that lament is not our final prayer. It is a prayer “in the meantime.” It is where our heart sits raw with God while we await His remedy. And we find hope and gratitude in the assurance of His ultimate solution.

This is my season of lament. Bear with me. Join me. Maybe you are in a season of lament of your own. May the wail of our heart always lead us to praise the One who hears us.

Psalm 13

How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever?
    How long will You hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

 But I trust in Your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for He has been good to me.