🇬🇧 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Matt 5:4 (Part 2) It’s bad enough realizing that the world is a sad place. But feeling the effects of that world—experiencing grief, sorrow and mourning—can be devastating. And so Jesus addressed mourning in the second of His Beatitudes. It does not seem as if mourning would be the way to achieve happiness and comfort. The natural inclination is to look at mourning as an emotional state to be avoided at all costs and instead to party and revel in the pleasure of the moment. This is what so many have tried to do. Among them was King Solomon, the wise and wealthy king who had every physical thing he could ever want. But looking back on his life, he said, “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth” (Eccl 7:2-4) Tears do not have to be a sign of weakness. They can show a tender and caring heart that hurts with others and knows pain. At other times, crying can also signify a repentant heart full of sorrow after recognizing the severity of our sin. God doesn’t want people to sit in dark rooms and mourn continually from dawn to dusk. A fruit of His Spirit is joy (Gal5:22). While there are certainly times for mourning, there are also times for joy (Eccl 3:1, 4). A balanced life will have both—at the appropriate times. For a Christian, godly joy doesn’t come from outer circumstances. Instead, the joy comes from knowing God and His way of life. A close relationship with God can yield more joy than some think possible (Ps16:11; 1 Peter 1:8). God’s way, once internalized, gives a sense of inner peace that no amount of trials can overcome. (Phil 4:6-7). by Joshua Travers