It’s Okay to Cry by Lisa Burkhardt Worley

“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

I was on a flight from Dallas to San Diego and I could not stop the flood of tears. I apologized to the man sitting next to me because I could not stop crying. I was hurt, and the tears flowed out of the wound in my heart.

We’ve all been there. Issues of the heart seem to be connected with the tear ducts in our eyes, and crying is a relief valve that God gave us when he formed us in the womb. The first thing a newborn does when he or she enters a strange new world is cry. Crying was invented by God, so it is okay to shed tears.

King David was a manly man who slayed a giant and killed both a lion and a bear with his bare hands—yet he still cried. In Psalm 6:8–9 he said, “For the LORD has heard my weeping. The LORD has heard my cry for mercy.” This brings us to the next point. God sees us when we cry, so we are not alone in our tears.

Crying is a human emotion. Jesus, part human, part divine, also cried. Before raising him from the death, he felt the grief of his friend Lazarus’ death, was moved in his spirit, and wept (John 11:35).

However, weeping should be temporary. God’s heart is to dry our tears and give us hope. Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” When we find ourselves crying over a difficult scenario, we should also pray for God’s healing and relief. He is faithful to provide the joy that we cannot muster up on our own and can provide the strength we need to overcome whatever scenario has made us sad. Amid our tears, he will supernaturally comfort us and give us hope.

How has God comforted you when you’ve been brought to tears?

Heavenly Father, when I become sad to the point of tears, help me to remember that I am not alone and that you can provide comfort in sadness.