3 Things to Do if Life is Sad

3 Things to Do if Life is Sad 

Everyone is Grieving

Friend, maybe Christmas is sad for you and you don’t even realize it.  The holiday seasons are filled with joy, but sometimes underneath it all we end up grieving some very hard things. A few weeks ago I wrote something as a comment on Instagram and suddenly I realized the depths and truth I had just typed. What was meant to encourage someone else were actually the words I needed as well. Here is what I wrote: 

You see, everyone is grieving something. As I scroll through my newsfeed on social media, it is easy to compare our griefs. I’ve never had to bury a child or say goodbye to a parent because of death. My marriage is still going strong and I have a good relationship with my church. Even God and I are on good terms (most of the time). So when I compare my own heartaches (which seem mild) with others’ I might be afraid to mention them aloud. But we are all grieving something. And grief is not the enemy. 

The enemy is the one who would want us too hide what we are grieving. The enemy would like to steal our peace as we quiet our voices. Friend, God says we can find peace with Him. (Romans 5:1-5). Christ is our Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) So when we talk about death, dying, or sadness, grief is not the enemy – the enemy steals our joy and peace. 

So what do we do if Christmas (or life) is sad? Here are three things I’ve found helpful if I find that grief is overwhelming my soul. Life is sad, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I’m a doer and these are steps you can start taking today! 

3 Things to Do if Life is Sad

1. Cry out. I cry out to God in prayer. And sometimes I write out my prayers. My shelf is filled with journals in which the only thing written are prayers. It is ok to be sad, to grieve, but we can take our grief to God in prayer. So many saints in the people cried out to God in their distress and God never rebuked them for prayers to Him! 

2. Choose faith. Faith is not something like a wish or a hope, but a confidence in things unseen. (Hebrews 11:1) So when our hearts are troubled, we step out in faith and say the things that are true. Our feelings are not dictators of truth. God’s Word is truth. So we take a hold of those truths and keep them close to our hearts. 

3. Connect. Community helps with grief. In fact, I have several widow friends who have created a group for young (and old) widows. (Check it out here. Gathering around others who have similar griefs or sharing your grief with trusted, Christian friends allows us to see a new perspective. We find comfort with one another. It is how God designed us to live.  

Life is sad. That’s it. The bottom line is everyone is grieving and it is ok. Just remember, we do grieve alone nor do we grieve without hope (2 Corinthians 6:10) but we do grieve and that’s ok. It is ok to cry and weep and mourn. Walk away after crying out to God and choose faith while you connect with others. 

Here’s the good news: even if you only have five minutes here or ten minutes there, you can absolutely read, study, and learn from the Bible right at your kitchen counter or waiting in the school pick up line.

So many Bible studies seem to be written for the empty nester mom who took some Bible classes once up a time and now has hours to spend reading over hot cups of coffee.

But what about the single mom with little kids running around who needs to make dinner, help them with their homework, and try to find time for a shower? 

Or the woman who deeply longs to know more about God and understand His word, but just doesn’t know where to start or what to make of it when she finally does?

What about you?

Enter this 30-day guided study through a new book of the Bible each month.