‘Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.’
— James 4:7-10
Be wretched and mourn and weep. These words may don’t seem like the message of a loving God, do they? But, if you think about it, this is one of the most loving statements in the Bible because salvation cannot come to someone who does not humbly recognize their sin. And with the recognition of those sins comes repentance—a throwing oneself at the foot of the cross.
Tears are a gift from God. They wash away the guilt and shame of our wretched hearts. A humble person who sees their fallen estate and repents of their sin cannot help but weep. When I think of what Jesus endured for me, I can’t help but weep. When I consider that Jesus sees sin in my heart, I can’t help but weep. When I realize that Jesus witnesses firsthand my sins, I can’t help but feel shame, remorse, and weep.