Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

For just a moment, let’s consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

We all know what mourning feels like. You may be walking through it right now. Perhaps a loved one has passed away. Maybe your relationships with family or friends are strained. Maybe the bills keep piling up and you don’t know how you’ll make ends meet. Perhaps you’re facing struggles at work or recently lost your job. Maybe you or someone close to you has received a serious diagnosis. You may not be able to do what you once could, and that brings sorrow. Others are fighting battles within: depression, anxiety, worry, or stress. Some feel utterly alone. Some are wrestling with addictions, trying to break free. Others are hurting spiritually, wrestling with doubt, unbelief, or sin. The truth is, all of us know what it means to mourn. What are you mourning right now? What sorrow keeps you awake at night? What pain weighs on your heart?

Jesus says that when we mourn, we are blessed. That almost feels like a contradiction, doesn’t it? Mourning is painful. It tears at our hearts. It drains our strength. How can we possibly be blessed when we mourn? Jesus explains: We are blessed in mourning because it opens the door for us to receive God’s comfort. Consider Philippians 4:6–7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In the middle of sorrow, pain, and worry, when we bring it all before God in prayer, He gives us His peace. And His peace is not something we can fully explain or understand. It is a supernatural comfort that guards our hearts and minds in Christ. Whatever you are mourning over right now, take it to God in prayer. He promises to meet you with His peace. What an incredible blessing it is to be comforted by “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

God doesn’t comfort us just for our sake. He comforts us so that we can turn around and comfort others. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” Don’t miss that truth: when God pours comfort into your life, He’s equipping you to share that same comfort with someone else. Your scars can help heal another person’s wounds. Your testimony of God’s peace in your darkest hours can help someone else find hope in theirs.

Even when we mourn, we are not without blessing. God meets us in our grief with His comfort. And then He invites us to extend that blessing to others who are hurting. Even in seasons of mourning, our lives can be marked by the blessing of God’s comfort. When He comforts you, receive it with gratitude—and then look for ways to share that same comfort with someone else. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

-Tyler Alverson