We all have known the pain of sorrow. Whether from the loss of a loved one, something, or a deep rooted melancholy, the pain is just as real. It doesn't make your pain any less because someone else has a perceived greater loss. Nor does the fact that you are a Christian remove the pain. In Romans Paul refers to his own sorrow over the unfaithfulness of Israel “My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart" (Romans 9:1).

I also, have known my share of life's sorrows. My father died in a power plant accident when I was young. I will never forgot the sound of the explosion or the shaking of the ground. My mother yelled that my father was at the plant so we drove to the plant. A fireman told us my father was injured. He took us to the emergency room where I was the only one of my siblings to see the horrendous sight of my father's entire body completely burned.

Being the youngest, I was the only one home during this traumatic event. Years later, I was the one who took care of my mother in my home as she was dying of cancer. I was also taking care of three small children, many visiting relatives, and dealing with chronic illness. It took me months to have time to grieve her loss, since I was the one responsible for taking care of everything.

Again years late, after the strain of living with a chronic illness made me barely functional. My husband walked out stating "you are going to end up in a wheelchair and I don't want to take care of you." I was left without home, finances, or insurance and no way to provide them, but God was faithful.

My friends took me to a Joyce Meyer conference. In the middle of her message God spoke to her to call forward those whose husbands had just left them and tell that that "God will provide for them."  Not only did she pray for me, but my friends said I was the only one she blew her anointing on. God has provided and given me hope.

Being a Christian in the midst of sorrow doesn't take away the pain, but it does give us hope. Hope that we will be reunited with our loved ones. Hope “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Hope in the joy of our salvation. "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

"Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life" (Psalm 119:49-50).  I have learned that through Christ there is comfort in my afflictions... that God's word gives me life... that the depth of my sorrow is the level of the joy that God will fill the void. Still there have been times I struggled with the depression sorrow can bring. Just because we are Christians, doesn’t mean we can’t be susceptible to depression just like everyone else.

I believe a large part of depression is the inability to cope with the reality that a lot of the time life is not very pleasant. Joyful doesn't mean happy which is based upon what it happening in our life. Growing emotionally healthy is learning to cope with this reality and adjust knowing that there will be good times also and use the difficult times to grow past our selfish existence into a stronger more compassionate and wise individual.

Going through sorrow gives us the ability to treat people with compassion. I believe when you treat a person with compassion it can permeate their soul and spirit to receive what you have to say in a way that could never be accomplished on just an intellectual level or even a spiritual level. It is saying I care about you and about your pain and I am trying to understand to the best of my ability.

I have tried to understand the pain that God must feel over His lost children. There have been times when I have felt God’s sorrow. Those are the times when sorrow can just grab a hold of you and transform you. Godly sorrow is a powerful manifestation of the presence of God that touches hearts and draws them into a glimpse of the pain sin brings to the heart of God.

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done..." (2 Corinthians 7:10-11)

Godly Sorrow