Have you ever found yourself laughing through tears? You had a heavy weight of grief in your chest even as you celebrated a major victory? If so, you are not alone.
In this world, those of us who are still here among the living will experience joy and sorrow — many times together, intertwined like threads in a single garment. We will experience one right along with the other. We often think of these emotions as sequential, when we think we must first finish weeping before we start rejoicing. But, no. The Word of God shows us a different way. Let me share with you some witnesses from the Scriptures.
The Apostle Paul described this mystery so perfectly. Paul called himself “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” Let’s take a look at the Scripture that Paul was speaking of: 2 Corinthians 6:10. Paul didn’t say he was joyful after his sorrow; he said he was joyful in it. This is the “both/and” of a life lived while walking by faith and not by sight.
Let’s Talk About These “Two Realities” — How is it possible to hold both at once? You are sad, in tears, grieving from a death or from your husband or wife leaving you, yet you can also rejoice at the same time. It is because joy and sorrow are grounded in two different realities:
Sorrow is our natural response to the brokenness of this world. When we are saddened due to the loss of family or loved ones, we feel pain from the loss of a job, from eviction, a car repair bill that runs into the thousands — so many disappointments that will cause us to feel sorrow.
When it hurts, we cry. Even Jesus himself wept. The shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, says simply, “Jesus wept.” He promises that those who mourn will be comforted.
Joy, on the other hand, is a fruit of the Spirit grounded in the unshakeable sovereignty of God. It is like a great granite boulder on the coast of your life. The waves of sorrow may crash over it and temporarily submerge it from view, but they cannot dislodge it. Your joy will still be right there. I guarantee you, even in the midst of major sorrow, there are some joys that will make you shout, jump up and down and rejoice. Let you find out a family member just sent you a large amount of money — no matter what you are experiencing, you will feel joy.
When that job comes through — one that you have wanted for so many years — even in the midst of your worst sorrow, I promise you, though it may only be momentary, you will rejoice.
Some lessons from the Word, where we see “mingled” experiences throughout Scripture. Let me share a few:
First, let us look at Brother Job. Job lost his children, his wealth and his health all at once. In fact, his wife said to him, “Why not curse God and die?” Job replied, “You speak like a foolish woman.” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. Yet in the middle of that deep sorrow, he found the strength to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 says, “Naked came I into this world, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
The cross of Christ is the ultimate example. As we just enjoyed Resurrection Sunday, with churches around the world celebrating that Christ has indeed risen, it was the most sorrowful event in history — yet Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus endured it “for the joy set before him.”
Moving Forward With Hope
If you are in a season where the waves are high, don’t feel guilty for your tears. You are not a “sequential” human being who has to be all one way or all the other. You can be a grieving wife, husband, mother or father after a loss while simultaneously thanking God for the years you had together.
The secret is to rejoice in hope. We know that this season is temporary. Psalm 30:5 reminds us that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” One day, every tear will be wiped away, and our “tearful joy” will finally be replaced by “tearless joy.”
Until then, keep standing on the Rock. Your joy in the midst of sorrow is a powerful testimony to the world that your God is bigger than your circumstances.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/writer living in the D.C. area. Her radio show, “Think on These Things,” airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station. To reach Grant, go to her website, www.lyndiagrant.com, email lyndiagrantshowdc@gmail.com or call 240-602-6295. Follow her on X @LyndiaGrant and on Facebook.
