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An emphasis of my blog is that it is okay to be honest with God and each other. As my Pascal tagline states: “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.” Sometimes we experience very real doubts, struggles…shadows. But are we lamenting or complaining?? There is a difference.
Sometimes I’ve heard an individual express themselves, and while I could not quite put my finger on why, I did not approve of their sharing because of how it came across. This excerpt from Ann Voskamp’s book made a good point:
“Lament is a cry of belief in a good God, a God who has His ear to our hearts, a God who transfigures the ugly into beauty.
Complaint is the bitter howl of unbelief in any benevolent God in this moment, a distrust in the love-beat of the Father’s heart…
True lament is the bold faith that trusts Perfect Love enough to feel and cry authentic.” – Ann Voskamp
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An important distinction to make!
Reblogged this on Rescuing Jesus .
Important distinction, I agree. But I wonder, if complaint can be a precursor to lament at certain times. Someone may be in pain, and howl in disbelief and anger and distrust for a little while before moving to a more genuine lamenting state.
Sometimes the pain is so great that we begin to say things–or even think we believe things–that we know aren’t true, such as “God can’t be good” or “I don’t trust him anymore.” That’s when we really need our fellow believers to patiently pull us back to lamentation, not by reasoning or arguments, but by displaying God’s goodness and trustworthiness through their love for us. (Okay, I say “we” but I really mean “I” and “me”!) Maybe this isn’t complaining, though. Maybe it’s more along the lines of the man in the gospels: “I do believe…help my unbelief.”
Good points Laura! Thanks for sharing them.
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