Sorrow

For the 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. [2 Corinthians 7.10]

Because of sin, everyone will experience sorrow. However, because of repentance, that sorrow yields different outcomes for those who repent versus those who do not.

With all the focus today on mental health, should it not make sense to pay particular attention to Paul's words here to the Church in Corinth?

Think about it: mental health today is often measured in genuine happiness. Television commercials depict those suffering depression as a mental illness. These commercials imply that sufferers of depression must necessarily "pretend" to be happy, when in fact, they are not. They go on to offer a medicinal solution.

But what if we are treating sorrow with the wrong medicine? Should it not be cause for extreme alarm that one of the potential side effects of Medicine's treatment for depression is suicide (arguably the deepest depression)?

According to Paul, sorrow will yield one of two things based on the "treatment" of repentance or the lack thereof. Sorrow with repentance results in salvation. There is nothing about salvation that can be seen as bad! Sorrow without repentance, on the other hand, results in spiritual death - and that sounds as bad as it can get - the polar opposite of salvation.

Repentance cannot be seen consequently in a bad light whatsoever! Repentance applied at the onset of sorrow results in salvation. How much more effective is repentance when it is considered that God loves the world and sent Jesus NOT to judge the world, but to save it?

The caveat with repentance however is the issue of pride. Pride and repentance cannot coincide. Not surprisingly, pride is at the root of most of what is known as sin.

Father, help us to set aside our pride and treat sorrow with genuine repentance!