Godly Sorrow

True repentance is no light matter. It is a thorough change of heart about sin, a change showing itself in godly sorrow and humiliation - in heartfelt confession before the throne of grace - in a complete breaking off from sinful habits, and an abiding hatred of all sin. Such repentance is the inseparable companion of saving faith in Christ.  J.C. Ryle

Living life is not easy?  I was watching the news last night and the newscaster was talking about the newscaster and cameraman from Virginia who were killed by an angry ex-coworker.  I woke up at two this morning thinking about it and I couldn’t go back to sleep. I kept seeing the young woman’s face as she watched her co-worker get shot.  It was over in seconds but the devastation will last a lifetime for those families who lost loved ones.  I thought about the parents of these young people who never expected their children’s lives would be cut short by a senseless act.  Maybe that is why I couldn’t sleep.  I couldn’t fathom being at your job working and someone walks up and shoots you and your life is over on this earth.

There is something missing in this world and I think it is godly sorrow.  The sorrow that comes from the heart where we feel each other’s pain.  I was listening to a song yesterday by Amos Lee called Cup of Sorrow.  The first verses in the song are “I want to drink from Your cup of sorrow, I wanna wash in Your holy blood, I want to sleep with the promise of tomorrow, I know tomorrow may never come.”  

Jesus knew all there is to know about sorrow.  In Matthew 26:36-38 we see what true godly sorrow is all about.  Jesus was in Gethsemane and had asked the disciples to sit while he went to pray.  First, I can’t imagine knowing what is in store for you, (a painful death on the cross), and knowing that You are the chosen One to save the world through your death.  I don’t know about you but deeply distressed wouldn’t have covered it for me, but I’m a wimp and Jesus wasn’t.  Jesus then prayed to our heavenly Father to let this cup pass from Him; but his closing words were the most poignant: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

One of the differences in Jesus understanding of sorrow was that He knew what His destination was and He continued to walk toward it knowing the outcome would not be good.  That’s godly sorrow.  It’s the sorrow of dying for someone else because you love them and have never met them. 

Don’t you wish it was as easy as drinking from Jesus’ cup of sorrow?  Where we would be filled with godly sorrow and know that the path I was created to follow, is where redemption and life everlasting resides. The problem is our heart has to be a heart for others and this world teaches just the opposite.  We must give up our wants and needs for another to understand godly sorrow.

Later in the song he sings: I want to sit at Your table of wisdom; So that not one crumb shall go to waste; For if we keep down this pathway to destruction; Well, our children will suffer for our haste. The only remedy for this fallen world is to “drink from His cup of sorrow and sit at His table of wisdom, so that no crumb goes to waste.” Wisdom will guide us to godly sorrow.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to drink from your cup of sorrow.  I want what breaks Your heart to break mine.  Godly sorrow means I will suffer.  It may be for others and sometimes it is for myself. Give me a heart like Jesus’ who suffered the ultimate sacrifice so that I might be saved.  I praise Your Son and I praise You.       

      

Scripture: Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  For observe this very thing; that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. Therefore, although I wrote to you, I did not do it for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for the sake of him who suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear to you.  2 Corinthians 7:9-12