“Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.” (James 4:9)
The insatiable pursuit of happiness is the devil’s trick to keep us from self-examination. We aren’t always meant to be happy. Sometimes, we should be sad – especially if that sorrow leads us to repentance of sin. James warns us that the effort to cover our sins with laughter and fun or to rationalize our sins away with pride and self-deception is both wrong and only a temporary fix. The sin is not expunged by us ignoring it.
The only path to forgiveness is godly sorrow. A mourning over our sin brings us humbly to the presence of God, hat in hand, to seek redemption. A heart that is gloomy with the sorrow over its errors is ready to be forgiven and exalted.
Don’t be afraid to grieve over sin. That mourning leads to reflection, repentance, and joy in Christ.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites