Worship, War, and Wisdom: Church Planting Lessons From DavidSample

Lament is letting out the grief, sorrow, and frustration. It can be the “in-between time,” the anguish of what isn’t yet, like Hannah when she wept so bitterly in the presence of God over her infertility. For some reason, as believers, we often see this kind of prayer as complaining.

But David understood something about God that many of us miss. God can take it. He can take our bad attitudes. He can take our despair. He can take it when we want to break someone’s teeth. There’s nothing more important than getting raw, honest emotions out in the presence of God. We must have a real conversation that isn’t always tied up with a bow at the end. This is how we endure long periods of anguish and grief; by allowing God to walk through it with us.

David didn’t just lament once, he lamented frequently. He lamented being chased by Saul. He lamented his in with Bathsheba. Later in life, he shared the agony of betrayal by his son, Absolom. Chapter after chapter, psalm after psalm. This was part of his secret, for after those honest conversations with God in the darkness, he came through strengthened. As he poured out his lament, he was able to see the goodness and the greatness of God once again. His heart turned to praise. But that was the process; he had to lament first.

I have learned that there are many griefs in church planting. We bear the suffering of people in our church and community. We face the betrayal of key leaders who have become dear friends. We remember the loss of a comfortable life that wasn’t that long ago. We endure the personal anguish of our own family struggles. We lament the death of dreams. When we pour it out before the Lord, honestly and completely, we receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit over and over again and are strengthened to face the day.