Solving Sadness
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Solving Sadness

How do you deal with melancholy?

13
Solving Sadness
Tori Arau

I’ve grown up believing that being sad is a bad thing. The joy of the Lord, right? It’s your strength. You have it. Rejoice. You’re a Christian, be happy, you’re happy. I think of myself as a happy person, so I never really questioned this as a kid. I never had a reason to.

But you don’t need a reason to be sad. Sometimes you just are. Sometimes you find yourself dealing with a time of melancholy and you don’t know why. Nothing about your life has changed, nothing about you has changed. It’s just that you’re unhappy. You’re not interested in things that usually interest you, and there doesn’t seem to be a solution.

The first time this happened to me, I chalked it up under a category full of words and phrases like “being a teenager,” “mood swings,” and “hormones.” I figured that it was normal and I should just read my Bible, get more sleep, spend time with my family, and deal with it. There are times when this works—you’re overtired, or your relationship with God is strained, or you need someone to cheer you up. There are times it’s not that simple. No one told me that, though. Christians seem to think that sadness can be solved in the turn of a few pages, a prayer, and some fellowship. But that’s not always the case.

Especially not for me. I’m pretty introverted. No, this doesn’t mean I don’t like being around people. It just means that where some “recharge” by spending time with others, I need to be alone. It took me a few years to realize this and to realize that it’s okay to take a break from people and rest. But let’s keep talking about solving sadness.

Wait—who said sadness needs to be solved?

Yes, being a Christian—knowing God and looking forward to knowing Him better—is an enormous source of joy. But if you think this means that you always need to happy, you are wrong. You’re also wrong if you think this means being unhappy is bad. Jesus was sad, for crying out loud. He had so many reasons to weep. And He wept. He saw that the world was heavy and broken and He was sad. If Jesus was allowed to be sad, so are you. The speaker in Ecclesiastes will tell you there’s time for that (in fact, reading the book, I get the sense that he had a lot of time for that, and hey, he still made it into the Bible).

Please don’t believe that your sadness, when it comes—and it will—is wrong. Instead, recognize it as something that will pass and don’t push it away. Let it teach you how to be alone, how to love, how to cry. Maybe it will teach you how to write or play music. Maybe it will only teach you a new side of yourself. Forget about solving it, and learn from it instead.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57976
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37346
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959015
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

192414
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments