“Why do we cry? Tears are therapeutic. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!
“I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears:” Psalm 6:6
Why do we cry? My new granddaughter usually cries because of hunger, tiredness, a dirty diaper, or teething pain. Most of us cry because we are frustrated, hurting, depressed, weary, or unhealthy.
David’s sorrow led him to be worn out with weeping, to the point of “flooding his bed” and “drenching his couch with tears”. Can you identify with this kind of weeping? I can. At one particularly low point in my life, I cried every morning for a week!
Tears are therapeutic for preventing dryness and infection, supplying oxygen and nutrients, and healing damage. I would like to propose that they also have spiritual purposes: preventing spiritual dryness and sin’s infection of our spirits, supplying spiritual oxygen and nutrients to our soul, and healing our spiritual wounds!
The overall purpose of tears is that we might see better, both physically and spiritually! There is a song that came to mind as I was reflecting about the reason for the tears I’ve shed over the years of my life:
He washed my eyes with tears that I might see the broken heart I had was good for me. He tore it all apart and looked inside. He found it full of fear and foolish pride. He swept away the things that made me blind, and soon I saw the clouds were silver-lined. And now I understand ’twas best for me he washed my eyes with tears that I might see. (Lyrics by J Swaggart)
Father God, thank you for tears and for the way they bring me back to you! Help me to trust you when life does not go the way I wish it would, and please use my tears to keep me spiritually healthy and responsive to your Holy Spirit’s work. Amen.
If you find that you are crying a lot lately, here is a final encouragement from Psalms 30:5b: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! Trust God to bring healing and health from your grief and sadness, but know that he is also using your tears for his good purposes.
By Karen Woodard
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Life Can Bring Joy out of Sorrow by Norma Becker
• Fully Surrender to the Lord
• Salvation Explained