The Reformed Doctrine of Being Sad

Reformed doctrine affirms and celebrates the sovereignty of God, which means he reigns and rules over all things. This matters for the Christian life: if God is in control, then whatever I go through is ultimately from him. James tells us that we will “meet trials of various kinds” in the Christian life (James 1:2). Sometimes those trials are exhausting, demanding, and discouraging; sometimes, they just make us downright sad. When we are struck with sadness, let us stop and ponder what we shall do. Here are three simple steps to take.

pray

James asks, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (5:13). Pretty straightforward. Suffering with sadness? Step one: pray. Tell your heavenly Father how you feel and ask him to help you see things as they are.

Ponder

Sadness is not always evil. A wise man said, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad” (Eccl 7:3). Sadness sobers us to spiritual realities and the brevity of life. In this way it can bring us wisdom, which gladdens in the long run.

Push Back

The gospel of Christ is the good news to gladden our sadness. “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast” (Prov 15:15). Once we begin to comprehend our sadness through prayer and word, let us combat it with the unbelievably spectacular news of salvation in Christ. Soon enough we will be making cheer before our God again.