What does the Bible really say about mourning?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Someone told me that the Bible is morbid because Jesus spoke a lot about mourning. I confess, I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to this, particularly since she is a very positive person and has a sunny disposition. What does the Bible really say about mourning? – P.M.
A: The Bible tells us that we may experience times of dismay, but “joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NKJV). To expand, before we can become wise, we must first realize that we are foolish. Before we can receive power, we must first confess that we’re powerless. We must acknowledge our sin before we can be saved and rejoice in a Savior.
Mourning, in God’s sequence, comes before exultation. Blessed are those who mourn their unworthiness, their helplessness, and their inadequacy. Isaiah, the mighty prophet of God, knew by experience that one must bow the knee in mourning before one can lift the voice in jubilation. But mourning over our unworthiness and sinfulness should be of short duration. We cannot be satisfied with our goodness after beholding the holiness of God, for He said, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25, NKJV). Isaiah had to experience the mourning of inadequacy before he could realize the joy of forgiveness.
If we have no sense of sorrow for sin, how can we know the need of repentance? In God’s company, a person must go down into the valley of grief before he or she can scale the heights of spiritual glory. One must become tired and weary of living without Christ before he or she can see and find His fellowship. One must come to the end of “self” before one can really begin to live.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2025 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2025 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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