How many times in our lifetime must we sigh, floundering through this world with our sins, sorrows, struggles, frustrations, fears, and foes?
This article is written by guest contributor, Heather Schulz.
Sighing is a good stress reducer. It gives the lungs a much-needed air boost and improves blood oxygen levels. Sighing can help the body let off emotional steam and promote balanced breathing. The ability to sigh is a gift from God.
I probably sigh every day without even realizing it. Maybe it's a short sigh of relief. Or perhaps a gasp of joy or surprise. (Just before writing this, I was gasping and running to my 2-year-old as she neared the top of an eight-foot ladder!) Other times, my sighs may resemble more of a long groan of frustration or murmur of complaint. Sometimes my sighs are accompanied by tear-filled eyes; they may even turn into a full-blown, wet-cheeked, runny-nosed emotional breakdown. How many times in our lifetime must we sigh, floundering through this world with our sins, sorrows, struggles, frustrations, fears, and foes?
Jesus sighed - and cried, too. He expressed deep compassion and concern as he personally and privately cared for the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel of Mark. “He took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh” (Mark 7:33-34). Jesus groaned as he commiserated about the condition of the man’s affliction of body and soul. Hebrews 5:7 says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
The Holy Spirit also sighs for us. Romans 8:26 offers assurance, “In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we should pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that are not expressed in words.” In other words, a believer’s prayer in words, a murmur, a groan, or even a sigh is the Holy Spirit's perfect intercession. Even in our “sigh-lence,” the Spirit speaks for us. Most assuredly, our pleas are heard by the One who has saved us.
Christ experienced firsthand what we go through and even worse as he willingly took on the sin of the entire world at his glorious, bloody cross. Isaiah 53:3 says: “He was a man who knew grief, who was well acquainted with suffering.” If there is anyone who fully understands us, it’s Jesus! He walked the earth in our shoes in every way. And even now, his heart hurts with us and for us. His compassion runs deep, as he personally cares for each and every one of us.
And he continues to sigh for our bodies, souls, and lives - infected, afflicted, and affected by sin. He is in us. He is for us. And he is with us for the long haul, as he looks to and longs for the day when “we shall meet at last,” reunited in heaven, where “everlasting joy shall be upon [our] heads; [we] shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa. 35:10).
Until then, we “look up to heaven” with “eager anticipation” (Rom. 8:19). We sigh, cry, and know that no matter how bad things get or how great the loss, our hope remains in the Lord who is on our side (Ps. 118:6). “The battle’s fierce but the victory’s won!” (CW 867). We have an incredibly loving God who has all things under his control. In Christ, all sin is forgiven and forgotten. “He is risen!” (Matt. 28:6) and so will we one day!
“Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed, we shall meet at last.” (Christian Worship 847 v.1)
Heather Schulz is married to the second love of her life, Daniel (Christ is her first love). She also carries close to her heart their nine children. She is a writer and author of Spiritual Musings of a Simple Mother; God's Word and Quotes for Plain Folks (to be released in 2025-26). As a homemaker for 27+ years, Heather enjoys cooking, gardening, house renovations, most anything outdoors, laughing, listening at Jesus' feet, and anything involving food, fun, faith, fellowship, and family.
