It Starts Small

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

How can happiness be tied to mourning? when i think of mourning I think about mourning a great loss. the death of a family member or friend. Dictionary.com defines mourning as, “the expression of deep sorrow for someone who has died.” The world would never say, “Blessed are those who mourn, rather it would say blessed are those who never cry. I thought about this for a while. Is it possible Jesus is saying here, happiness comes from your own death? the spiritual death of your old nature brings happiness?

I remember my addiction therapist said if you want to learn how to laugh, you need to learn how to cry. Jesus says, this is not the kind of weeping that involves being a cry baby. This is not weeping over misery or countenance. This is is not weeping out of sadness. When we find out we are bankrupt in our spirit, it gives us a broken heart. This broken heart leads to repentance. Its not feeling sorry for what you have done. Judas was filled with self pity. He felt bad for what he did but it did not lead him to repent.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow works repentance in our lives. We have to get our eyes off ourselves and stop feeling sorry for the mess we have made of our lives. We need to look into the face of our Savior and confess that we made the mess and the only true hope is in Him. When we break God’s laws we need to be heart broken over it. We can never be filled with joy or peace harboring sin in our lives.

We have a lot to learn from tears and sorrow. The world wants us to believe that if we change conditions we can change our character. God’s word says, man was in a perfect garden and still sinned. The world puts emphasis on on conditions, but God’s word put emphasis on character. The world says change the exterior, but Jesus says its not what you have but who you are that matters. Jesus doesn’t say, blessed are those who have, he says blessed are those who are.

Jesus is not talking about the moaners, miserable, melancholy, or self pity type of people. He’s speaking about those who mourn. Those whose hearts are filled with sorrow and grief.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18

Many places, we read Jesus wept. A great question to ask ourselves, is: Do the things that break the heart of Jesus break my heart?

The first step to happiness was being poor of spirit which was recognizing we are spiritually bankrupt. The next step is mourning and weeping over our sin and the sin of humanity.

#1 Guilt Convicts us – causes us to mourn

What convicts us? Our guilt. Our sin causes great mourning in our lives. Sin has devastating impact on our lives.

Deceiving Power of Sin:

²¹ Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: ²² But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:21-22

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: ²⁸ But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:27-28

Rage, lust, and covetousness that is hidden in our heart deceives us. God knows what is in our heart. It’s out of our hearts these sins are born.

Defiling of Sin:

²⁹ And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29-30

The eye in this passage speak of pleasure and the hand speaks to that which is precious. Sin takes these things and perverts them. Sin is what looks at others with lust, hate, revenge, jealousy and covetousness. Our eyes were made perfect by our creator, but sin corrupts them. Sin causes everything we do, think and say to be corrupt.

Destroying Power of Sin:

In verse 30, we can have assurance that sin, when given the power by us, destroys. I heard a preacher say, “its better to be a maimed saint, than a healthy sinner. Sin ultimately destroys us from the inside out. It starts with our hearts and corrupts our minds. From there is spreads like a disease to our relationships and others. Sin destroys everything in it’s path. It’s satan’s goal to destroy and when we give power to him, he burns everything to the ground.

#2 Grief that Consumes

Grief can be defined as a deep sorrow. There are many people who walk this earth that have never been broken over their sin. They feel sorry for what they have done and most often that is because they have been found out. The use a counterfeit confession to justify (just to lie) their actions, but never experience a true repentance or sorrow.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow works repentance. A worldly sorrow works death. What does Godly sorrow mean? Godly sorrow is not just being sorry. It’s not being remorseful. Remorse is dangerous. Remorse is regretting what you have done because you got caught. Remorse is feeling bad because of the consequences of sin. Remorse is loving sin, but having an inability to stop causing you to hate yourself because you can not stop.

Godly sorrow is a true repentance. It looks beyond sin to calvary. Its saying I hate sin because I love my Savior more. True repentance is saying I have sinned against God and I have hurt God.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Psalm 51:4

Psalm 51 is David’s repentance. Psalm 38 is gut wrenching chapter to read. David testifies and describes in great detail the deception, defiling, and destroying power of sin. In Psalm 51, we are given assurance that when we repent, truly turn away from sin, God redeems us.

#3 The God who Comforts

When we realize we are bankrupt and corrupt, we begin to understand our need for a Savior. We truly begin to understand what Jesus did for us at calvary. We look to our Heavenly Father for comfort. God doesn’t simply pat us on the back, nor is he unsympathetic. God is our comforter. The word comfort means to come forth with strength.

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. Psalm 138:3

When we seek God, he says I will put my strength in you. Where does this strength come from?

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16-17

The Holy Spirit is our comforter. He brings comfort and speaks peace to our soul. The Holy spirit is our advocate.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1 John 2:1

When we fail and fall, the Holy Spirit is here to help. He brings comfort and help.

The happiness we seek comes from the joy and peace he brings. Happiness in mourning is weeping over sin. It is death to the old nature and victory in our transformation.

Do you weep over your sin?
Do you hate your sin?
Do you realize that your sin is nailed on the cross?