Lament: A Biblical Response to Grief, Suffering, and Evil

By P.J. Mills

Cancer. Miscarriage. Slavery. Sex trafficking. Abortion. Racial injustice. Marital infidelity. Divorce. Job loss. Spiritual abuse. Physical abuse. Corruption. Cover-ups. Sin. Death.

Have you experienced any of these issues in your life? Have you wrestled with these realities as they unfold around you? Perhaps you find yourself burdened, yet unable to express what is in your heart.

For the Christian, the question is not if we will experience grief and suffering, but how we will respond when we do.

In Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, Mark Vroegop writes:

“A broken world and an increasingly hostile culture make contemporary Christianity unbalanced and limited in the hope we offer if we neglect the minor-key song of lament. We need to recover the ancient practice of lament… Christianity suffers when lament is missing.”

We must recover this language in our day. As Matthew Henry said, “days of trouble must be days of prayer.” Lament is the God-given language that allows us to express sorrow, confusion, and grief before Him.

Dangerous Responses to Sorrow

There are three dangers Christians must avoid in suffering:

• Stoicism — suppressing grief and pretending everything is fine.
• Cynicism — accepting brokenness as permanent and giving up hope.
• Unrighteous anger — lashing out at God rather than trusting Him.

Each of these fails to deal rightly with suffering. God gives us something better: lament.

What Lament Is Not

Lament is not faithlessness. It does not deny God’s sovereignty.

Lament is not thanklessness. It does not reject God’s goodness.

Lament is not hopelessness. It does not abandon God’s promises.

Lament is not a cry into the dark—it is a cry to God.

What Is Biblical Lament?

1. Crying Out to God

Psalm 77 shows us that lament begins with crying out to God. Silence is spiritually dangerous. God invites His people to come to Him in their distress (Psalm 50:15).

Rather than numbing pain with distractions, we are called to bring it honestly before Him.

2. Honest Complaint

Biblical complaint is the honest expression of pain before God. Psalm 22:1 shows this clearly: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

There is a difference between complaining to God and complaining of God.

“There is no sin in complaining to God, but there is much wickedness in complaining of Him.” — John Flavel

Lament gives voice to our struggles without accusing God of wrongdoing.

3. Confidence in God

Lament does not end in despair. Psalm 42 shows us that we must speak truth to our souls:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? … Hope in God.”

We remind ourselves of who God is—faithful, sovereign, and good—even when circumstances are painful.

Conclusion

Do not be stoic. Do not be cynical. Do not lash out at God.

Lament.

Cry out to Him. Bring your sorrow honestly before Him. Trust His character even when you do not understand His ways.

Suffering is not wasted when it drives us to deeper dependence on God. Through lament, our faith is refined, our pride is stripped away, and our trust in Him grows.

“To cry is human, but to lament is Christian.”

May you learn to use this God-given language—and find hope in the valley.

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