This period’s beatitude is like a living enigma in my mind and without a living God makes absolutely no sense. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The word “mourn” can also mean sadness.  Let’s attempt to read in our definition of “blessed” from my last article. “Happy” are those who mourn for they will be comforted. The idea that I am happy when I am mourning is a real problem in my head. I don’t know about yours.

Have you ever had a friend who was out to accomplish something great, and he or she finally accomplishes it? Through this whole process, you are proud of him/her for suffering and enduring and getting to the other side. It is awesome to see your friends succeed. It’s great when you get to celebrate those events and successes with them.

Now when they are hurting and in the middle of this great struggle, it is really hard. Sometimes, in the middle of life, you don’t see how it is going to work out well for you, and all you know is that your soul hurts and you don’t see any reprieve. Yet, when other people are going through one of those times, it is so easy to see the end for them. When someone else is trying to go through a hard time or is pushing through a hard time, it is simple for us to say, “It will all be worth it” or “you will get through this.”

The reason why it can be easy for us to say those things is we are seeing the end for our friends. Outside of that pain, suffering, and sadness, we are able to see clearly that it will all be alright or what they are going through will at least be worth it. Sadness, pain, and suffering can distort our view and cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture and our hope.

To be completely honest, you will suffer in this life. If you live as a Christian, you will probably suffer more. There will be plenty of mourning and sadness.  Sorry, guys.

The thing I cling to and the thing that allows people to get through extraordinarily challenging things and accomplish great things is they cling to hope and draw near to God. I will say it again. They cling to HOPE and draw near to GOD.

I believe that God will comfort us in the here and now when we pray for it. Sometimes, however, I can pray and still feel empty and sad. So, what do we do then? How do you continue on?

2 Cor. 4:17-18 says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

We aren’t living for this world. We are living for a world that we cannot see yet. We suffer through things that we don’t fully understand. The implication of what we are living for is a Kingdom that hasn’t yet come. There is no suffering in vain as long as you are walking with God through it. The reason our mourning and sadness makes us blessed is because it isn’t for nothing.  I know one day God will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no mourning and sadness and we will get to see God in all His glory face to face (Rev. 21:4). The morning I was editing this for publication, I had just read Rev. 7:14 which says, “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” In this text, I can imagine being in the presence of my Lord, my Savior, my teacher, my rabbi and having him shepherd me in the presence of the throne of God. Jesus will be guiding me to the springs of life that flow from the throne of God (Rev. 22), and my God (whom I have yet to see but I can imagine), my Creator, will be wiping away every tear from my eyes (Rev. 21:4).

I cannot help but say in that day, “It will all be worth it.” I find my comfort in those things when this world has left me mourning. Don’t let the pain and suffering you are going through distract you from the great comfort you have hope in.

It will all be worth it.