According to the Bible, pain and sorrow are not intrinsically good because they were not part of God’s original design for creation. But, pain and sorrow can accomplish great good to the extent that they drive us to relate with our Creator in light of who He has revealed Himself to be. That’s what makes lamenting different from venting. Venting involves nothing more than getting a few things off your chest by telling God exactly how you feel in the midst of evil and suffering. Lamenting includes telling God of your feelings and engaging with them in light of the character of God and the ways of God.

A biblical lament may be deeply sorrowful, but it’s never sorrow-centered. Biblical lament is God-centered. That’s not our natural response, which is one of the reasons I’m eager to preach through 10 different psalms or songs of lament.