Good for the Heart

I hope that you are in a good mood as you begin to read this article. That is because today I’m going to look at quotations on an interesting topic. Maybe it’s appropriate because the school year is just around the corner. And for my fellow Pittsburgh Pirate fans it is certainly a topic worth discussing. Whether you are a school teacher, student or long-suffering Bucco fan, perhaps you are feeling a little sad as summer fades. Sadness is something that I want to consider. Please note that some of the quotations I will refer to today are not necessarily those of Christians. But being sad is something that can affect anyone regardless of their faith or lack thereof. I saw a hospice patient today who is strong in her faith. She admitted that she has felt sadness for several days. This is unusual for her.

Perhaps you are one who deals with sadness often. Of course, there is a difference between depression and having bouts of sadness. In some ways sadness is like the state of being happy. They can be different things for different people. Sadness can come and go quickly. For others it can be a prolonged thing. It will be interesting to look at what the Bible says about sadness later. It may surprise you.

Let us begin with a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “Every man (person) has secret sorrows which the world knows not; and oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad.” Is it not true that many of us are sad at times but are able to pretend all is well? Sometimes our pride has us pretend we are fine so others do not question our strength. We may also not want to reveal sadness because we just don’t want to burden anyone. So, the sorrows and sadness remain a secret. Or sometimes it may be obvious that we are sad, and it can come across as being uncaring or cold. Obviously, we cannot know the mind and feelings of another person, but sometimes we act as if we do.

A family member or friend of someone who appears to be sad is wise to seek something to do about it. We certainly cannot take away sadness for someone else, but we can explore what is happening with them and see if we can be one who listens and steers them towards dealing with it well. The natural tendency is just to want to end sadness, but that is not always possible or even best. But a caring person will not want to let someone go at it alone if they do not want to. The level of sadness over a sports team losing or a picnic being rained out is certainly much more short-term and on a different level compared to the loss of a loved one or the death of a marriage. Sadness is a natural response to things that happen around us. Thankfully some sadness can last only a few moments or an hour or two. It’s the extended sadness that can go into many days or weeks that can impact a person’s life and those around them.

Clive Barker said this: “Any fool can be happy. It takes a man (or woman) with real heart to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep.” Ultimately, it is God who makes beauty out of ashes and the things that make us cry. But we understand the sentiment. It is somewhat easy for most people to find moments or seasons of happiness. We know that those times are fleeting. Happiness is a nice thing while it lasts, but is certainly not a good goal. That’s where joy comes in and can stay because God is the source. God is also the one who can make those going through a trial or time of depression or sadness stronger as they work through their emotions. To allow him to do that, we may have to embrace the sadness and despair we may feel instead of denying or numbing it.

Steven R. Covey states, “Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in our relationships with others.” We can all agree with this. We grieve to the extent that we love when someone passes away. When that person knows the Lord, we do not grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). But the sadness of that separation can linger. That is not necessarily a bad thing.

Ecclesiastes 7:3 is a surprising verse. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. Another version states that sorrow is better because a sad face has a reclining influence on us. This verse is very counterintuitive. No one really wants to be sad. Most people think that sadness is really a bad thing. However, sadness forces us to stop and think. Sorrow may drive us to prayer. Sadness does not last forever. In fact, one of my favorite verses offers a great reminder of our future reality and hope. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). When we pass away God will do something amazing. He will forever eliminate sadness and everything we associate with it. Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Your night may be very dark. It’s possible you have a list of things that bring you sadness and heartache. The morning is coming. Joy is possible even as you wait for dawn. Do your best to keep things in perspective; keep trusting and hoping as you wait upon the Lord. That also is good for the heart!