Is There Such a Thing as a Sad Christian?
Psalm 42 (audio) or Psalm 42 (text)
I think some Christians harbor a hidden desire to make it big on the Hollywood stage. There are some very fine actors gracing the pews of our churches. I am speaking of those who say they are just fine, when their lives are anything but. We often tell people we are doing just fine when they ask how things are going. We do this even if our relationships, careers, hopes, or dreams are breaking into a thousand jagged little pieces. I plead guilty and admit to being one of those with hidden dreams of making it big in Hollywood. I’ve told people I’m alright or okay even when I’m not. I ask forgiveness for that bit of dishonesty on my part. But really, how many people that ask me or you how things are going, really want to spend the time to listen and find out about our problems.
Nevertheless, there should at least be one or two individuals with whom we can be honest about our feelings. If we don’t have that, we have one last outlet for our true feelings, that outlet is God. We can always cry out to Him. My amazement arises when I find people that have no personal relationship with God and have no humans to whom they can share their honest feelings of despair and brokenness. What do they do? How can they be released from their inner pain? How can anyone exist without an outlet for the bad that naturally creeps into a life? The psalmist says:
Troubles have come again and again, sounding like waterfalls. Your waves are crashing all around me.
The LORD shows his true love every day. At night I have a song, and I pray to my living God.
I say to God, my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why am I sad and troubled by my enemies?”
My enemies’ insults make me feel as if my bones were broken. They are always saying, “Where is your God?”
Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God.
-Psalm 42:7-11 (NCV)
We can reach out to God with our pained hearts and sorrowful souls. Let us not forget about our loving God that cares about us each day. He doesn’t want to see us hurt. He wants to help us and I believe his plan is for us to help one another. But how can we help one another if we never reveal our true feelings when we hurt? Revealing our hearts to others may be difficult, but this idea is worth some serious reflection on our part. Maybe if we just start loving people more than judging them, we will all feel more open to sharing our hurts.
