Why is mourning a loss important? What is its purpose?

Matthew 5:4“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

2 Corinthians 7:10The kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

This statement by Jesus in the Beatitudes refers in some way to those who recognize their sins, are sorry for them, and have repented. This is the kind of mourning that Paul mentions as leading to salvation. Grieving over our sinful attitudes and actions shows that we recognize the reality of our sin and where it leads; it then also turns us toward God for his forgiveness and blessing.

Nehemiah 1:3-4They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

When Nehemiah learned of the condition of the wall of Jerusalem, he was filled with grief. And this motivated him to act. Some people act as though a painful loss never occurred—they simply deny it and put on a happy face. Mourning a loss helps us deal with the realities we face and allow us to move on to helpful action.

Hebrews 4:15-16This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

We should mourn the losses in our lives: cultural setbacks, competitions, opportunities, relationships, even material possessions—and especially, the death of loved ones. Healthy sorrow helps us remember the importance of the loss, but it should move us toward the true Source of comfort, our loving Savior. Jesus experienced “all of the same testings we do”—he knows what we are experiencing. So, our grief should move us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.”