2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Good Grief
- Chad Werkhoven
- Nov 12, 2025
- 4 min read
You need to care enough to hurt carefully.
2 Corinthians 7:8–13 (NIV)
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 7: Renewal to Repentance
God preserves in His saints when they fall
his imperishable seed
from which they have been born again,
lest it perish or be dislodged.
Also, by His Word and Spirit
he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance
so that
they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed;
they seek and obtain,
through faith and with a contrite heart,
forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator;
they experience again the grace of a reconciled God;
they through faith adore his mercies;
and that they from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
Summary
I suppose there may be some people who don't care about the pain their critical words impart, but thankfully most people do. At least here in Minnesota they do, anyways. Here most of us are on the other extreme of this spectrum, mortified by the thought of causing offense and worldly sorrow, so too often we bite our lip when we ought to offer sound, albeit critical, advice.
As it so often does, the narrow road of discipleship navigates right down the middle, directly between the poles. Certainly many people could learn from us Minnesotans and keep their critical comments to themselves. But on the other hand, we're designed to live in community as Christians, supporting each other, even as we hold one another accountable. Uncomfortable conversations occasionally are a key component in carrying this call out.
This means that we need to care enough to hurt carefully. That's what Paul did with the Corinthians. He had taken them to task often in his first letter, which initially caused them sorrow. But although he did at first, Paul no longer regrets it; in fact, as he wrote this second letter, he was happy he'd done so! For although that first letter hurt them, it was only for a little while. For the sorrow he'd stirred up in them - the sorrow which God intended! - led them to repentance.
Paul's seemingly offensive words, which inflicted this godly sorrow, ended up producing earnestness, eagerness to clear themselves, indignation [towards their sin], alarm, longing, concern and readiness to see justice done. In other words, Paul's carefully injurious words completely turned this community around. They had been heading towards death, but now once again they were being led to salvation.
Dig Deeper
We live in a society in which the words love and tolerance have become nearly synonymous. We're told that the best way to show love is to not just accept, but fully endorse any feelings, desires or actions another person might have. Even when their feelings, desires and actions conflict with God's commands, and even when such behavior will hurt them, both in this world, and especially in the world to come.
Thankfully this hollow, dangerous expression of love which the world demands is not the way your Father loves you. As we read a few days ago in Psalm 23, He shows His love by walking with you through the dark valley, comforting you with His rod and staff, which He occasionally uses to inflict temporary pain meant to steer you away from sinful feelings, desires and actions which would hurt you even more.
Often God exercises this critical discipline through the Christian community He's placed you in. But understand that as you fulfill this mutual responsibility to others, you're not given blanket permission to impose your own ideas and opinions on those around you. The Canons remind us that God has designed this heartfelt and godly sorrow to be delivered by His Word and Spirit. When tough words are necessary, make sure they're God's Word, not your own.
This is all the more reason for you, your family and your church community to be saturated in God's Word, which drives out our sinful, selfish opinions and keeps us continually experiencing the grace of a reconciled God, adoring His mercies, and causes us to more eagerly work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who loves us enough to cause godly sorrow when needed;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom and courage to care enough to hurt carefully;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 21
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