If we understand the purpose of Godly sorrow, we will welcome it. Godly sorrow is different than the sorrow of the world. The sorrow of the world will destroy a relationship, not elevate a relationship into something new and powerful. Godly sorrow will lead us to repentance where what was done to create the sorrow has a remedy – the forgiveness of God. 

Paul sent a strong letter of correction to the Corinthian church regarding their allowing sexual sin to remain unchallenged in the church. Though sending such a strong letter was not easy, he was not sorry for sending it. The sin must be exposed, or the church would descend deeper into spiritual compromise.

Even though Paul’s letter was strong, it was sent in love. He said, “I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way” (II Corinthians 7:9). 

Paul told the Corinthians that Godly sorrow coupled with repentance would lead them to life even if it required they walk a difficult road of redemption to get there, “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.” (vs. 10).

Any righteous resolution of a spiritual issue requires a repentant heart. Without repentance we will pick up the sorrow of the world, tolerating the unresolved issues of sin that will compromise our relationships with each other and our witness to the world.  A Godly resolution has no regrets.