Is it okay to feel sad sometimes?
"Blessed are those who are sad. They will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4).
"There is a time to weep. And there’s a time to laugh. There is a time to be sad. And there’s a time to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
"God is our place of safety. He gives us strength. He is always there to help us in times of trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
It is okay to feel sad sometimes because God sometimes feels sad too.God created us in His image, which means that we have a lot in common with Him. Sometimes we think we shouldn’t have certain feelings like anger and sadness, but God has those feelings too. Many things can make us feel sad. It isn’t that those feelings are bad, but it is important to respond to our feelings in healthy ways.
God is sad when we disobey Him, and He is sad when we feel sad. Before God destroyed the earth in the flood and sent Noah out in the ark, God was sad in his heart over the sinful world (Genesis 6:6). Jesus cried because His friends felt sad when their brother died (John 11:35). The Bible says there are times when we will feel sad and even cry (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
So if we know it is okay to feel sad, what should we do with those sad feelings? The Bible tells us that we should talk to God about all our feelings—including our sad ones. The Psalms are filled with people who felt sadness, fear, anger, confusion…you name it! Those feelings are okay, but we need to talk about them to God because He loves us. God’s love can make us feel okay even when things don’t seem to be going so well. When we trust God with our feelings, God blesses us (Matthew 5:4).
God will help us with our sad feelings and whatever might be causing us to feel sad. Often, He helps us through our parents or other trusted grown-ups. Sometimes He sends us a friend at just the right time. God promises to help us when we feel sad or troubled (Psalm 46:1), and He is with us all the time.
