While grief and joy seem to be opposites there is a time when joy can follow shortly after grief. I like how A. W. Pink gives us a perfect example how joy can follow grief when he said: “After grief for sin there should be joy for forgiveness.”1
My friends we read in (1 John 1:9): “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As Christians grief and confession over our sins is the key to repentance and cleansing. And to know that God grants forgiveness when we grieve, confess, and repent over our sin, should bring a real sense of joy to our hearts.
No wonder God tells us in (I Thessalonians 5:16): “Rejoice always.” As Christians, not only is it possible to rejoice always but this is God’s will for us. When we do sin what a joy to know that when we grieve and confess over our sin, we are not only cleansed but forgiven!
While sin can cause us to get discouraged in our Christian walk, grief, confession, and repentance always brings cleaning and forgiveness which produces joy! As Christians we understand that sin grieves the heart of God and that should cause us to deeply grieve too. But rather than stay in this state of grief and being disappointing to God, we need to rejoice, not over our sin, but in the knowledge that when we confess and repent, we are forgiven!
Grief, confession, repentance, and forgiveness, should always produce joy in the heart of a believer. So the next time you do sin realize that joy can be just around the corner!