Jeremiah's Complaint

Jeremiah 20:13
(13) Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

Isn't that a great word of encouragement? Here Jeremiah reminds us that we are to sing to the Lord. We are to praise Him. I know that He certainly delivered my life. What else can I do?

What's interesting is that this verse happens approximately 2/3 the way through a general complaint. Here is how it ends:

Jeremiah 20:14-18
(14) Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed!
(15) Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, "A son is born to you," making him very glad.
(16) Let that man be like the cities that the LORD overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon,
(17) because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great.
(18) Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?

I'm afraid that in many Christian circles this kind of talk would lead to a quick intervention. Obviously Jeremiah was facing some pretty heavy persecution from those who did not want to hear the real Word of the Lord. However, there are certainly times in all of our lives when we feel like this. There have been mornings when I was out jogging and the thought of getting crushed by a passing truck didn't seem so bad for half a second. Then I remember the hope I have in Christ, the family I would leave, etc, and those thoughts quickly disappear.

My point is that there are times for real lament. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, especially someone who, say, preaches in an old basketball arena. Following Christ isn't necessarily easy. But what else can we do?