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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
How do we lament? I guess we should start with understanding what lamenting truly is. Lament is expressing sorrow, mourning, or regret—crying out in grief. As followers of Jesus, we are called to lament! We are made in the image of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And, throughout the Bible we see examples of the trinity lamenting.
Early in the Bible, God lamented the wickedness of man.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart (Genesis 6:5-6).
Immediately following this regret and grief, God sent the flood. He blotted out everyone but Noah and his family.
In Isaiah 63:10, the word says, but they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. This verse is referencing Israel’s rebellion after being led by Moses out of Egypt.
And we see examples of Jesus lamenting. It’s an often quoted and the shortest verse in the Bible found in John 11:35, Jesus wept. His dear friend Lazarus had died, and he was overcome with grief.
Jesus not only expressed this sorrow, but he gave us a true picture of lament in the Garden of Gethsemane. His lament to the Father was so deep his sweat was as drops of blood falling from his body. Jesus tells his disciples his soul is very sorrowful, even to death (Matthew 26:38). He then fell on his face, and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
Taking these examples from the Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus, how do we lament? We will look at the life of David and how he modeled lament. And we will consider why this is so important within the context of work.
