Being a true Christian is very hard, even nearly impossible. We have only one life, and in this short life, we never know when it will end. Young people who have already studied the Word should be grateful. Therefore, learn until you understand the majesty and truth of Christ. Looking at our lives today, we should mourn. Yet ironically, instead of mourning, we often defend ourselves. All of us who are not yet perfect must be humble and learn to confess our shortcomings so we can lament our condition that is not yet what God desires.
Remember, the Word says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Let us learn to understand and speak the truth. As long as we do not live as Jesus did, as long as we have not put on His person, we must keep walking, keep repenting, and keep urging ourselves to know God more.
Literally, we can read books and hear sermons, but above all, we must encounter God. We will then know that God speaks directly to us, because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Therefore, we must meet God, for when we behold the majesty of His Person, we will realize we are only like a broken vessel. Even as pastors, we still find the wreckage of our past—pride, self-esteem, arrogance. If we feel better, do not become proud. Let us learn to repent every day.
If one learns to experience this kind of godly sorrow, one becomes immune to the kinds of grief the devil plants. The devil will make us grieve over things we should not lament. If life often makes us upset, annoyed, and angry, we do not actually need to be. We often grieve over unnecessary things. Such people are not resilient in the face of life. But if we are immune to the world’s sorrows—and instead grieve for God’s will—we become increasingly resilient in the face of life’s struggles. Accordingly, when someone prioritizes God and wrestles for the Kingdom of Heaven, all life’s problems, however great, become small and insignificant.
Idols are not only pleasures but also hobbies, money, and various forms of delight. An idol is anything to which our heart is poured out or bound. Even our problems or feelings can become idols. People who indulge their feelings have not truly made Jesus Lord. They are swept away by troubles and grieve over unnecessary things. Therefore, when God allows us to be “stung” by trials—motorbike stolen, car wrecked, betrayed by someone close—these can all be training for us. Our character is far more valuable than sorrow over worldly things.
As we grow older and still have not reached the proper standard, we must lament. Do not defend laziness or fail to grow normally. Ultimately, to reach the target God desires—that we live honorably as children of God—we must courageously focus our lives on this goal as the sole primary aim, while other things remain only supports.
When God becomes the aim of our life—when pleasing Him becomes our life-goal—we bring ourselves into God’s light through truth. This holy sorrow leads us forward. Without this focus on God’s holiness, and without making Jesus our standard, we miss the true lament we need.