Two Responses to Sorrow

Scripture: For God sometimes uses sorrow in our lives to help us turn away from sin and seek eternal life. We should never regret his sending it. But the sorrow of the man who is not a Christian is not the sorrow of true repentance and does not prevent eternal death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Observation: As Paul discusses his relationship with the church at Corinth - specifically how he scolded them in his prior letter and they responded by first being sorrowful but then taking proper action - he gives this clear and direct lesson about how God uses sorrow. God uses sorrow, hardship, and correction to clarify our understanding of sin in our lives, and thus repent. Thus sorrow has a good outcome.

However, there is a flipside to this that applies to non-believers. Since non-believers do not know the truth, and thus have no understanding of repentance and the proper way to behave, sorrow cannot correct them. Non-believers can only suffer in their sorrow, and turn cynical toward the world, nature, others, and God himself.

Application: As we all suffer through hardships, this is the difference between believers and non-believers. I see believers looking for how the outcomes of this situation will advance their personal understanding of God, or give opportunities for the kingdom to advance, or correct large swaths of society. I see non-believers ... fighting about politics, taking sides over policies and practices, and generally fearful of everyday life. They have no idea that anything related to hardships and sorrows may be leading toward opportunities for a changed life, so instead it is all just challenges to overcome.

So what does it say when I see believers who ... fight about politics, take sides over policies and practices, and live fearfully? I must not judge too quickly. Overcoming sorrow is a process, not a knee-jerk reaction. The Corinthians were first sorrowful about the scolding they received from Paul, then considered the matter and corrected it. Some believers are still in the 'sorrow' state.

When I have been corrected, it took me a long time to get through my sorrow ... months. It can be hard. But the Lord is faithful. He has been faithful to me, helping me find new kingdom purpose while caring for me and my family. The Lord is being faithful to his Church and believers, creating new platforms and messages from many places.

And the Lord loves everyone and will be faithful to anyone else who turns to him. As believers, let us focus on seeking God's will during sorrow, and model that for those who are only seeking survival.

Prayer: Lord, again today I pray for our country, our world, our communities. I pray for those far from you to discover your love in their lives, even in the midst of hardship. It is more difficult when they have no hope or context, but the first step is simply to seek an understanding of your love and the love of Jesus. May this happen more and more, and more and more hearts, daily. Amen.