Blessed in our brokenness

Life is hard. That truth doesn’t take long to discover. Our world has been fractured since the beginning, and nothing works quite the way it should. Bodies fail. Relationships strain. Dreams fall apart. Loss, disappointment, and sorrow are woven into everyday life. God’s will is not always done around us—or within us—and as a result, pain is unavoidable.
Against that backdrop, Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:4 sound almost shocking: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” How can sadness possibly be connected to blessing? How can grief coexist with happiness?
Jesus is not telling us to pretend pain doesn’t exist. Instead, he is revealing that mourning can become a doorway to God’s deepest comfort.
The Bible never suggests that followers of Jesus should be cheerful all the time. Ecclesiastes reminds us that life has seasons: a time to laugh and a time to weep, a time to dance and a time to mourn. Grief is not a failure of faith; it is a natural and healthy response to a broken world. We mourn many things—death, lost relationships, unrealized hopes, injustice, and even the spiritual lostness of those we love.
So how does God meet us in our mourning?

First, God draws close to the brokenhearted. Scripture promises that the Lord is near to those whose spirits are crushed. Even when God feels distant, he is not. Feelings can lie; God’s presence does not. In moments of deep grief, God is often closer than ever, holding us when we are least able to stand.

Second, God grieves with us. We are able to feel sorrow because we are made in the image of a God who feels deeply. Jesus himself was described as “a man of sorrows.” When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept. Grief, then, is not weakness—it is evidence of love.

Third, God provides a community for support. We were never meant to carry pain alone. Healing happens in shared spaces, where joys are multiplied and sorrows are lightened. The call to “mourn with those who mourn” is not optional; it is how God’s family is meant to function. Sometimes we need comfort, and sometimes we are called to give it.

Fourth, God uses grief to shape us. Pain has a way of getting our attention, deepening our character, and loosening our grip on temporary things. While we cannot control the pain we face, we can choose whether it makes us bitter or better. God works even suffering into a larger story of growth and eternal purpose.

Fifth, God gives us hope beyond this life. Christians grieve, but not without hope. Death does not have the final word. Heaven promises restoration, reunion, and a future where tears are wiped away and pain is no more.

Finally, God redeems our pain by using it to help others. Our deepest wounds can become our greatest ministry. When we allow God to work through our suffering, we become living proof of his comfort.

“Blessed are those who mourn” is not a denial of pain—it is an invitation to experience God’s presence, purpose, and hope right in the middle of it.