Can Sadness Be a Good Thing?

Sometimes we have a false idea of how the Bible, even church, should impact us. We want to be blessed but never convicted. We want to be happy but never sad. We want to be inspired and encouraged. We want to walk out of a church service feeling happy.

But I don’t want you to be happy if you’re living in sin. There may need to be a conviction of the Holy Spirit, who will show you what your sin is so that you can repent of it. Then you can walk out of a church service truly happy, because Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4 NKJV). The word blessed that Jesus used is interchangeable with the word happy. You could translate this to say, “Happy are the sad, for they will be happy.”

When the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls was complete, Ezra read the Word of God to the people. And in Nehemiah 8 we’re told that “all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law” (verse 9 nkjv).

As Commentator Warren Wiersbe pointed out, “It is as wrong to mourn when God has forgiven us as it is to rejoice when sin has conquered us.” In other words, if you can somehow in your mind rationalize your sin as being okay and have even managed to convince yourself that God is fine with it, then you are in a dangerous spiritual state. You’re in danger of getting a hardened heart and a seared conscience.

God does not convict us of our sin so He can drive us away in despair. God convicts us of our sin to send us into the open arms of Jesus, who died on the cross to pay for all of our sins.