Everybody has that sudden, painful longing for yesterday, when they didn’t know how good they had it, just before the world fell in.”- Kyle Idleman
Kyle Idleman continues Chapter 2 of The End of Me with an example the Bible offers to help us figure out what Jesus means when He uses the word mourning.
We mourn the true circumstances of life. Pastor Idleman defines these true circumstances as “dream busters that awaken us at the worst time.” We don’t choose or invite them. They simply kick down the door and barge in. These dream busters are beyond our control- and they change everything. Yet, when this happens, Jesus says we are blessed.
Jesus isn’t excluding the worst stuff, nor is He referring to little “character builder” moments. Commentator William Barclay explains the weight of the word mourn:
“The Greek word for to mourn, used here, is the strongest word for mourning in the Greek language. . . . It is defined as the kind of grief which takes such a hold that it cannot be hidden. It is not only the sorrow which brings an ache to the heart; it is the sorrow which brings unrestrainable tears to the eyes.”
Jesus’ message is that blessing comes from the inside. Blessing is not dependent on what happens on the outside. As Kyle concludes, “There is a blessing to be found only through the shedding of a certain number of tears.”
Today’s question: Following your vocation loss, how have you experienced that blessing comes from the inside? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The blessing of God’s presence”
