When you are overwhelmed with sadness

“…so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”—Nehemiah‬ ‭2:2‬

Have you ever felt such sadness, that people could see it in your face? My guess is that all of us would confess to this more than a few times in our lives. Sadness comes from many different situations, circumstances, and outcomes in our lives. It can come from loss, inability to change things, empathy for someone else’s loss, or hopelessness.

While we live in this world, we will continue to experience moments of sadness. Jesus told us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In the same breath, Jesus tells us that we should have peace in Him, and that we are to take heart because He has overcome everything that causes sadness, pain, or hopelessness in this world. How do we do that when we are surrounded by things that bring us sadness?

It’s during the sad, hopeless, overwhelmed times in my life that I cling to my Heavenly Father. By that, I mean I stay as close to Him as I can. As many of you know, those feelings of sadness can hit at any time during the day. I can be in the office seeing patients and that feeling of loss can sweep over me. It is then that I utter a small prayer for strength. When I wake up in the middle of the night because worries are hounding me, I turn to my Bible app and I read a devotional and read the Bible. Sometimes I wake up first thing in the morning, and I’m not ready to face another day of heartache. It is then I get on my knees and pray for God to walk with me.

The other thing I do is reach out to my husband or a close friend. Don’t forget that God gave us relationships with others so we wouldn’t have to face our sadness and troubles alone. Reach out to someone you trust.

God promises to be with us and comfort us when life’s cares and worries overwhelm us. Don’t try to face these alone. Just start by praying and then opening your Bible or a devotional. God will provide comfort and give you strength. We were not meant to walk this troublesome path of life alone.

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;…”—Isaiah‬ ‭66:13‬a

“who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”—2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”—Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬