Joy and Sorrow

I get the impression that some people think that if you really know God that you should not have any negative emotions. Doesn't Paul write, " Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). But isn't this the same person, when speaking of his heart for his own people wrote, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart"? (Romans 9:2).

I imagine we could say that Paul was not living up to his own principles, but I don't think that is in keeping with his overall experience and teaching as well as the rest of the Scriptures.

The majority of the Psalms, for example, are what scholars call laments. It's like singing the Blues. For the most part these Psalms do include a positive perspective, but at the same time the writers are being honest about how they feel about their situations. It is as they truly grabble with great difficulties they discover the power and presence of God.

Life is complex. At any given time our hearts contain varying amounts of joy and sorrow. In the same world where tragedy regularly rears its ugly head, we are also surrounded by beauty and wonder. It is tragic that some of us have been taught to distance ourselves from our emotions instead of allowing ourselves to engage the vast complexity of life. While we should not be driven by our feelings, they are part of us. Instead of denying them, we need to learn how to manage them well. Part of that management is learning how to offer how we feel to God. As we do we will find ourselves more able to express them in our relationships.

Paul had no problem with the fact that he carried a great pain in his heart over the welfare of his people. He saw no contradiction between that and his joy over the reality of God in his own life. Perhaps the joy was the reason why he experienced the depths of grief for his people that he did, knowing how much they were missing out on.

I suspect that most of us right now, like Paul, carry in our hearts apparently conflicting emotions. In order to truly live, we need to get more in touch with the life we are actually living instead of cutting ourselves off from its reality.