Good Grief

“For now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us. For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10 CSB)

Good grief! Is there such a thing? In a word, yes. Not all grief is good. “Worldly grief,” also known as “guilt,” produces death, says Paul. Guilt is destructive, particularly when people just try to live with it, or cope with it, or otherwise rationalize it. Good grief, however, is what happens when the Holy Spirit brings the conviction of sin that produces in us a genuinely godly sorrow. Godly sorrow does nothing for us, though, if it just remains at that level. Godly sorrow turns positive when it then leads to repentance. When we take our godly sorrow to the Lord, when we turn from sin to Him and seek His forgiveness, He then forgives and restores us fully. That is what makes it good grief, and such grief is, in fact, the will of God.

Good grief is cause for rejoicing. It leads to repentance, which leads to forgiveness, which leads to the full restoration of fellowship, which leads to a deeply gratifying joy for all. In today’s vernacular, we would call this a “win-win.”

Father, Today if there is any worldly grief in us, we bring that to You and ask that You turn it into the good grief that will lead us into a deeper walk with You. Amen.