“Sadness to Joy” is the next in our series, after talking about “Fear to Hope,” and “Anger to Gratitude.”

First, you should know this,

[bctt tweet=”Sadness is a live emotion that can serve to remind us of what matters to us, what gives our life meaning.” username=””]

 

Clearly, we don’t have to dismiss sadness when we feel it. And, the reason is that it is an important human emotion, which, in turn, helps us in a lot of ways.

Before delving into that, let’s take a look at what Robert Firestone says about sadness,

[bctt tweet=”when we feel sadness, it centers us.” username=””] 

As Christians, there a lot of scriptures that can help us change our approach to the understanding of sadness. For the sake of our reflection today, we will only mention just a few in the following lines. 

Not only do these scriptures help us change the way we understand sadness, but they also equip us on how to move from sadness to joy.

I think the scripture, we need as our foundation, comes down to the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 14: 1.

The disciples were in fear knowing that their Rabbouni (Rabbi or teacher) had to die, based on the story.

The concept of death and the process of dying are scary to the ones going through them as well as their family members.

Read John 13. There, Jesus predicts his betrayal, Peter’s denial, and his death. So, chapter 14 builds on the previous chapter.

And, verse one in chapter 14 describes what’s going on in the disciples’ mind: sadness.

There are two things in this verse:

• • • Jesus is aware of the disciples’ feelings of sadness.
    • Jesus offers what to do about it.

What Jesus offers to the disciples tells us more about what I said earlier, sadness is a live emotion, which can serve us well. So, don’t deny yourself from being sad.

More importantly, do the following:

• • • Believe in God (The Father).
    • Believe in Jesus Christ.

Believing in God, the Father, and in Jesus Christ, represents how we can use sadness to re-center ourselves.

 

 

Believe in God, The Father

 

The reason Jesus wants the disciples (and us all today) to believe in God is very biblical. First, remember that Jesus came to fulfill God’s Word (Matthew 5: 17).

Next, the words from John 14 took place when there was not the New Testament yet. The only Scriptures were the Old Testament books the Jews had.

So, believing in God has to do with what we call the Old Testament (Christian Bible).

There are lots of scriptures in this first part of our Bible that can help us with how to move from sadness to joy. For the sake of our reflection, we will summarize them into the following themes.

 

God has a plan to give you hope and future 

Read Jeremiah 29: 11,

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God not only has plans, but He knows them well. And God has designed these plans in a way that He is the only one who would fulfill them.

[bctt tweet=”No one can alter what God has in mind for you. While humans make plans, they still don’t have full control over their fulfillment. ” username=””]

 

God is your Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer

Read Psalm 18: 2,

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

[bctt tweet=”Jesus wants us to believe that God, our heavenly Father, who has a plan, is strong and faithful enough that He will protect them because of God is. ” username=””]

God is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. That is who God is for you!

God is near to the broken-hearted

Read Psalm 34: 18,

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

[bctt tweet=”Every time you’re sad, know that God gets even closer to you. He waits on you to invite Him into all the areas of your life so that He can save you.” username=””]

 

God will not leave or forsake you

Read Deuteronomy 31: 6,

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God’s faithfulness to His plans speaks to how powerful He is. Nothing or no one can move God. Nor anything or anyone can alter God’s plans for us.

God has made the promise not to leave or forsake us.

 

God is my salvation

Read Psalm 42: 11,

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior, and my God.

Our hope is in the fact that God is our salvation. That’s the source of our joy. And, that is how we can change our sadness into joy.

 

 

Believe in Jesus Christ

 

Jesus, based on John 14:6, wanted the disciples (and wants us) to believe in Him.

[bctt tweet=”Believing in Jesus Christ also means believing the truth that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s Word as revealed in the Old Testament! ” username=””]

Two reasons why we should believe in Jesus Christ:

• • • Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Read John 14: 6. Jesus represents the only way to God, our heavenly Father. To experience the truth that God is our Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer, we need faith in Jesus Christ.
    • Jesus and the Father are one. Read John 14: 20. Our relationship with Jesus Christ means that we are also in communion with God, the Father.

The result of the above means the following:

• • • No one or nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8: 38-39).
    • God’s peace guards our hearts (Philippians 4: 7).
    • Jesus, the Logos (God’s Word), transforms our sadness into joy (John 1: 1-5, 14).

 

Bringing it together

God is with you, even as you go through moments of great sadness. Through faith in Jesus Christ, God remains your Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. God’s plans, as a result, become true in your everyday living, and, therefore, transforming your sadness into joy.