God Designed Us to Need Him

Sometimes we just need to cry. This is a lesson that I have had a hard time learning. I was taught, by life experiences more than anything else, to hide my emotions. I was taught to put a smile on my face so that the people around me feel better. I put on a brave face and never let my tears flow, but have I cost myself something? Afterall, John 11:35, while famous for its notoriety as the shortest verse in the Bible, shows us that “Jesus wept.” Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet because of his laments to God at the destruction of Jerusalem. Clearly, God is not ashamed of our feelings. He created to have both the good and the sad.

Sometimes, we just need to cry. I am learning this lesson as I watch my children learn to navigate life. When they were small, I often found that they simply needed to cry. I remember one time when my daughter was about 6 months old. She was fed, dry and very tired. I placed her in her crib with her favorite toy and her coveted pacifier. Yet, she cried. Nothing could console her despite the fact that she had everything she needed. She was over-tired and over-whelmed. Can you relate? There are many times when I am over-tired and over-whelmed with the amount of work still before me or the uncertainties I feel. There are times when life is out of my control that I want to sit down and give up. Sometimes we just need to cry. I am learning that this is not a bad thing. It is not a weakness that we need to hide away. It is part of our humanity.

We can’t handle every obstacle that life throws us on our own – God designed us to need Him. Our fears don’t just go away until we learn to trust the One who is able to hold our lives and insecurities in the palm of His powerful hand. Sometimes we just need to remember that we are not God. We don’t have to hold the universe together in our own power. We don’t have to have all the answers. Life often hurts. Fear often threatens to make our knees weak. The tasks before us often overwhelm our courage and steal our strength. That’s okay. It’s okay to cry. Cry out to God.

Psalm 34:15, and 17-19 encourages us that it is okay to cry. It says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry… The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them, He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” It is natural to cry sometimes, just make sure you are crying out to the God who hears and will guide you through the storm.

(Written by Keegan Harkins.)