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Throughout scripture we see God's people mourning for the loss of someone they loved, their own sin or the sins of others. Their mourning was outward as well as inward. They tore their clothes, they wailed, sat in silence for days and many times wore sackcloth to show their state of mourning. Jacob mourned the loss of his favorite son Joseph for days, wearing his sackcloth attire. Kings of Judah also mourned in this fashion throughout the Old Testament. In Esther we see Mordecai and all the Jews mourning as King Xerxes created laws prohibiting their worshiping of God.
Each time we see this state of mourning occur it is a result of grief, a loss of someone or something. I personally have experienced grief several times, my sweet husband blogged about my story if you want to read more @ http://crashcourseadult.blogspot.com/2013/07/. Well to be honest I'm in a state of mourning, this has created a sense of grief in my life. Not the level of grief of losing someone I love by no means, but still grief. I'm grieving the loss of community, normalcy, routine and freedom. Don't get me wrong we are blessed and sitting in our house binge watching Tiger King is not that bad. But I'm still grieving what life was like before Covid-19. And I think many of us are having the same feeling, but as Christians today we are terrible grievers. We think to admit that we are grieving is denying that we have a greater hope in Jesus.
But Jesus in the sermon on the mount says "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.". Maybe we need to wear our sack cloth to show people our mourning; allow someone to walk alongside us in a difficult time. God is our ultimate comforter, but many times He uses one of His believers to deliver that comfort to His people. Sharing our struggles during this time may be the beginning of Christians learning how to really mourn and just think that transparency might be what brings someone to Christ.
David gave us a great template for healthy grief, it is only for a season and ends with us praising God. Throughout Psalms David a man after God's own heart expresses his sadness, turmoil and grief. But he always comes back to glorifying God and recognizing God's greatness.
Psalms 22:1-5
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
So during this time it's ok to put on your "Sack Cloths", to grieve the losses we are ALL experiencing. Just remember to take them off after a season and praise God for all the ways He is blessing his people.
Sack Cloth Part 1
04/02/2020
Sack ClothThroughout scripture we see God's people mourning for the loss of someone they loved, their own sin or the sins of others. Their mourning was outward as well as inward. They tore their clothes, they wailed, sat in silence for days and many times wore sackcloth to show their state of mourning. Jacob mourned the loss of his favorite son Joseph for days, wearing his sackcloth attire. Kings of Judah also mourned in this fashion throughout the Old Testament. In Esther we see Mordecai and all the Jews mourning as King Xerxes created laws prohibiting their worshiping of God.
Each time we see this state of mourning occur it is a result of grief, a loss of someone or something. I personally have experienced grief several times, my sweet husband blogged about my story if you want to read more @ http://crashcourseadult.blogspot.com/2013/07/. Well to be honest I'm in a state of mourning, this has created a sense of grief in my life. Not the level of grief of losing someone I love by no means, but still grief. I'm grieving the loss of community, normalcy, routine and freedom. Don't get me wrong we are blessed and sitting in our house binge watching Tiger King is not that bad. But I'm still grieving what life was like before Covid-19. And I think many of us are having the same feeling, but as Christians today we are terrible grievers. We think to admit that we are grieving is denying that we have a greater hope in Jesus.
But Jesus in the sermon on the mount says "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.". Maybe we need to wear our sack cloth to show people our mourning; allow someone to walk alongside us in a difficult time. God is our ultimate comforter, but many times He uses one of His believers to deliver that comfort to His people. Sharing our struggles during this time may be the beginning of Christians learning how to really mourn and just think that transparency might be what brings someone to Christ.
David gave us a great template for healthy grief, it is only for a season and ends with us praising God. Throughout Psalms David a man after God's own heart expresses his sadness, turmoil and grief. But he always comes back to glorifying God and recognizing God's greatness.
Psalms 22:1-5
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
So during this time it's ok to put on your "Sack Cloths", to grieve the losses we are ALL experiencing. Just remember to take them off after a season and praise God for all the ways He is blessing his people.
--Ashley Lankford