When things don’t get better: Finding GOD in unhappiness

Nov 27, 2014

By Faith Noah
I was a bundle of happiness in high school. I loved my community, my teachers, my friends, and my faith. I woke up full of life and ready to share my joy. I won’t say I never got stressed or anxious, however, when these times did come, it was easy to remind myself that I had no reason to freak out. After all, life was great.

But now things are different. Now it’s not as easy for me to wake up in the morning and say “Gee, everything is awesome!” I’ve got a lot of uncertainty, fear, and doubt getting in the way. I was happy, but now it’s not that easy.

Especially after having known inner peace and constant joy, unhappiness is a tough concept for me grapple with. “Where does God fit into all of this?” I often find myself asking.

EMBRACE THE CROSS
Unhappiness is a cross. It makes us feel inadequate. It robs us of our awe and wonder at the beautiful life God has blessed us with. Often, the things that leave us feeling this way are out of control, fueled by our deepest doubts and fears.

How we react to such things, however, is completely up to us. We can approach lack of joy as a curse and allow it to plunge us deeper into the darkness. Or we can seek purpose in our suffering and reach toward God’s light, trusting it’s there even if we can’t see it.

Perhaps unhappiness is even a blessing. When everything around us is dark, our light has a greater impact. When all that we once treasured is gone, all we have left to cling to is Christ.

It forces us reflect on simplistic dependence on Christ. If we take away the rainbows and butterflies, do we still flock to His embrace? Do we still trust His unending love?

If we are to call ourselves Christians, then we must believe that God loves us and would never allow for us to experience suffering without purpose. Therefore, there has to be purpose in the cross of unhappiness. Whether we struggle with depression for months on end or just experience a day lacking fulfillment, perhaps these are opportunities to shine brighter and cling tighter. Perhaps there is purpose in our pain.

MAN FULLY ALIVE
God doesn’t want an unhappy life for us, or even a “bearable” one. Rather, He wants an extraordinary life. In fact, “the glory of God is man fully alive,” according to St. Irenaeus.

God does not delight in man hanging on to life by a thread, or in man “kinda sorta” alive. God delights in man fully alive, fully in love, and fully dedicated to finding and pursuing passion and zeal in all aspects of life. It’s all in or nothing.

God wants to see us alive even when we’re unhappy. But how on earth can we do that? How can we find passion when we can’t even find purpose? How can emanate hope if we ourselves don’t feel it?

Paul the Apostle has some pretty good advice:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

THERE’S GOT TO BE SOMETHING
If you are stressed, anxious, depressed, full of doubt, suicidal, or just having a terrible horrible no good very bad day, I’m speaking to you (and so is St. Paul). If there is absolutely anything at all that is worthy of praise in this world, I ask you—in fact, I urge you—to think about these things.

I know there is something. There has to be something.

Think of Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross for you. Think of the guardian angel He has sent to stand beside you at all times. Or think of babies and puppies and funny Catholic memes like this one:

Whatever it is, find something that glorifies God and remember it when you are unhappy. Some days, you’ll feel as if you don’t have the strength to make it. You’ll feel like you can’t possibly handle the cross God has given you, the fight He has asked you to fight. Remember, “God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Don’t grow discouraged. In all situations, there is a way out. There is a way to turn suffering into sanctification and sinners into saints. If we trust God with childlike submission, if we believe that the pain we are experiencing will ultimately work to make us better, then we can navigate through the unhappiness with hope.
HAPPINESS IS A DECISION

It’s okay to not be okay. If you aren’t happy, though, I invite you to make a decision: choose happiness. Spreading unhappiness won’t bless anyone. So make a conscious effort to remember the good, to put on the armor of Christ, and to choose joy. It’s not inauthentic to fake it ‘til you make it; rather, it is trusting that there is reason to hope even if your heart begs to differ.

Amid suffering, I often ask God to take this cup away from me. But now I realize that’s the wrong question to ask. “Thy will be done,” is all that we need to say. Because if God’s will is done — and we trust this will — then everything else will fall into place.

Source: lifeteen