Lament, Finding a Path for Your Griefনমুনা

How to Respond to Hardship and Suffering?

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1)

Everyone experiences some kind of suffering and hardship. Christians are no exception. We wrestle with strong emotions when we face pain and grief. This becomes even worse when our painful circumstances seem to contradict the character of God as we know Him. After all, He is good, sovereign and almighty. So why does He let evil and sorrow happen to us? Where is God in all this?

We are not the first generation to struggle with these questions. The Bible contains many examples of believers who went through difficulties. The Bible also shows us a way to cope with this: to lament. Many Psalms are songs of lament. They contain an address to God, a complaint, a request for help, and an expression of trust or praise. As such, songs of lament are a biblical way to move from pain to promise and from brokenness to God’s mercy. It is not an easy fix, but a way to give room to our emotions and find hope in God when we feel overwhelmed, shaken and hurt. Lament gives us the opportunity to reorient our hurting heart toward what is true.

Over the next few days, let’s zoom in on the four elements of lament, and see how they function in the lives of believers.

How do you respond when you experience hardship? Do you identify with words from the Psalms?