Those Who Sow in Tears Will Reap in Joy

A joyful life is not one without tears. Tears belong to the reality of our fallen world, but more than that, true joy is often born out of spiritual sorrow. This is not only true in ministry; it is true for anyone who has begun to understand the deep comfort of the gospel.

Our joy often feels shallow because we struggle to see holy grief as something good. Grief, in itself, is not beautiful. What gives beauty to tears is their source: communion with Christ. When sorrow flows from shared life with Him, our tears become more than pain; they become prayer. We weep with Christ and in Christ.

Tears shed in communion with Christ have depth. They are not sentimental or performative, nor are they driven by fleeting emotion. Christianity does not reject emotion, but it cannot be reduced to emotionalism. Emotionalism quickly forgets suffering; Christian sorrow remembers it, carries it, and entrusts it to God.

Too often, we exchange God’s deep comfort for distractions, entertainment, busyness, or noise that merely help us escape pain for a moment. The result is not joy, but a hollow euphoria that centers on the self and fails to resonate with the suffering of others.

Holy tears, however, teach us how to relate rightly to God and, in turn, to one another. There is a kind of crying that comes from personal hurt, but maturity in Christ leads us to weep for others. Such tears are only possible through love, for love frees us from the trap of self-pity and opens our hearts to compassion.

This kind of growth cannot be rushed. Love and instant results do not belong together. Love is patient; it is willing to remain in the process and allow God to shape us over time.

Perhaps the absence of holy tears in our ministry reflects an absence of love. Tears are often hidden because they are mistaken for weakness, and weakness feels shameful to those who want to appear strong. Yet, as O’Connor observed:

“We often belittle tears as a sign of weakness and inadequacy, allowing them only to women and children. This may be because if men were encouraged to weep, if men and women in positions of power were to weep, they would then have access to their full humanity, and the world would change.”

Honest tears are not the mark of weakness, but of strength. Those who are truly weak hide their tears; those who are strong are unafraid to bring them before God.

So let us learn to grieve more deeply, trusting the promise of Christ:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”