Crying May Be Good For You

Cry, by all means.

Let the tears fall.

But what do you do with them after that? Do you just reach for a tissue and move on? Or can tears speak — revealing something deeper than we first imagine?

There’s more to tears than meets the eye.

When God Keeps Count of Tears

David, the royal psalmist, once wrote in Psalm 56:8, “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”

Who would have thought that in God’s eternal record-keeping, tears have a place? Each one: Noticed. Measured. Kept. Not one drop was wasted. David’s imagery reminds us that our tears don’t just evaporate into thin air — they’re bottled, stored, remembered.

And this isn’t an isolated thought. Malachi 3:16 tells of a book of remembrance written before God for those who feared Him and thought on His name. In both passages, we glimpse a truth that steadies the heart: every pain, every loss, every grief is seen.

While others might say, “I understand,” only God truly does. Human sympathy can falter; divine compassion never. As someone once said, He remembers our sorrow as if He kept each tear in a bottle. Precious, isn’t it?

The Tender Promise

After the death of his wife Joy, C S Lewis wrote “A Grief Observed”, a raw account of sorrow, doubt, and emotional collapse, showing that faith does not erase tears.

There’s a coming day when tears will cease entirely. Revelation 21:4 paints that promise in glorious light: God Himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Not an angel. Not another believer. God Himself. That’s how personal He is.

GotQuestions explains it well: this divine gesture happens when everything that once caused tears – death, sorrow, pain – are gone forever. In their place comes God’s radiant presence, His glory, and everlasting joy. What a divine exchange that will be — sorrow traded for singing, mourning replaced by marvel.

The Many Languages of Tears

Tears come in many forms, and each one has meaning in God’s sight:

• Tears of Joy. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Ps 126:5) Seasons of weeping will yield harvests of laughter. Our tears are often the watering of tomorrow’s rejoicing.

• Tears of Sorrow. “Jesus wept.” (Jn 11:35) Shortest verse; endless depth. The Son of God shared human grief, showing us that crying isn’t weakness – it’s love engaged with loss.

• Tears of Mourning. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Mt 5:4) Grief permitted, comfort promised. God calls even the aching heart blessed because His nearness is clearest in mourning.

• Tears of Repentance. Paul wrote of godly sorrow that leads to repentance.(2 Cor 7:10) Such tears don’t just express regret – they mark a turning, a cleansing, a homecoming to grace.

  
  

Each kind of tear has a purpose. Together, they form the language of the soul – the place where our humanity meets God’s compassion.

When Tears Become Ministry

Tears are not just signs of weakness; they are instruments of healing. God designed them to serve His purposes — physically washing the eyes, emotionally cleansing the heart, spiritually drawing us close to Him.

When you weep, you’re not alone. Christ, who once wept at a tomb, still carries every burden we bring to Him. His invitation remains gentle and open: “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Mt 11:30)

So – cry, if you must. Let your tears speak faith’s quiet language. Let them minister comfort in your own spirit and compassion toward others.

For every tear shed here, there waits a day when none will ever fall again.

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What's inside this latest issue?

VOL. 50 NO. 4 of IMPACT Magazine

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT GRIEF?

By Peter Teagle

THE DEEP PAIN OF COVENANT LOVE

By Lynette Lim-Teagle

HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE

... Choosing healing over cycles of pain

By Jeannie Chiu

SELF-PROTECTION AND SELF-DENIAL

By Robert Solomon

CALL ME BITTER

By Mary Yeo-Carpenter

"IN CELEBRATION"

By Samuel Teo

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

~ Impact Panel Discussion ~

WITH SO MUCH SUFFERING AROUND,

SHOULD WE STILL HAVE CHILDREN?

By Darius Lee

THE END DRAWS NIGH:

... Talking the end-times with C S Lewis

By Nicholas Ho Wei Jie