Feeling Like You're Fighting the Tide…
Have you ever felt like you're constantly battling uphill? Like no matter how hard you try, you're always swimming against the current? It's a feeling many of us know too well. We push and push, striving for happiness, but only find ourselves exhausted and discouraged.
Imagine a surfer attempting to catch a wave. They paddle furiously, but the ocean is relentless, pushing them back. The current is strong, and the wave seems to be pulling them further and further out to sea. That's often how life feels, isn't it? We want to move forward, to find joy and peace, but we're constantly met with obstacles, setbacks, and challenges that seem to hold us back.
It's not about finding happiness, it's about understanding your pupose.
The better question is "What's My Source Of Joy?"
Joy is a state of happiness that transcends temporary circumstances. The Bible teaches that God himself is the ultimate source of true joy (Psalm 43:4). Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a gift from God that grows within us as we live according to his will (Galatians 5:22).
Deeper Than Happiness: Biblical joy is deeper than fleeting happiness based on external circumstances. It's a lasting inner peace and confidence that comes from trusting in God's love and faithfulness, even in difficult times (especially in the difficult times) (James 1:2-4).
The negative feelings you're experiencing are information, just like the positive. Instead of resisting, learn to understand them. Recognize the root of the negative feeling, explore it, and find a healthy way to process it. It's all about the information and what you do with it. If you can analyze the "data" (the world) around you, you can better equip yourself craft ways to thrive:
- Acknowledge the feeling: Don't ignore it or try to suppress it.
- Allow yourself to feel it: Don't judge or criticize yourself for feeling negative.
- Understand the feeling: What is the feeling telling you?
- Find a healthy way to process it: Talk to someone, write in a journal, or exercise.
- Let it go: Once you've processed the feeling, allow yourself to let it go.
- Read the Bible: To find comfort, guidance, and inspiration in God's Word, which can offer solace and perspective during difficult times.
The Exhaustion of Forced Happiness
Have you ever tried to force yourself to be happy when all you felt was negative? It's not easy. That's the thing about forced happiness – it's not genuine, and it takes a lot of energy to maintain.
Key word here - maintain. It's not maintainable, therefore, it's not plausible to seek after as a reason of living.
You might manage a smile for a few minutes, but eventually, your feelings will fluctuate and come flooding back, and you'll be right back where you started, feeling drained and discouraged.
Think about it this way: if you were physically exhausted, you wouldn't try to force yourself to run a marathon. You'd rest and recover. But we often don't give our emotions the same consideration. We push and push, trying to force ourselves to be happy, even when we're feeling down. Sometimes it's ok to just feel.
It's part of the human experience. With the reality we're in, we can't be happy 100%. It's natural to experience a range of emotions, both positive and negative. Trying to fight against those feelings can be incredibly exhausting. It's like trying to hold your breath underwater. You can do it for a short time, but eventually, you'll need to come up for air. Just as we humans experience a spectrum of emotions, so too did Jesus. He wasn't a robot or an emotionless being; he was fully human, capable of experiencing joy, sorrow, anger, and even despair. His humanity allowed him to connect with our struggles and offer us compassion and understanding. That's also what made his teaching that much more impactful - he was like us.
The metaphor of holding your breath underwater perfectly illustrates the futility of trying to suppress our emotions. Just as we can't indefinitely hold our breath, we can't indefinitely suppress our feelings. Doing so is exhausting and counterproductive. It's like fighting against the natural flow of life.
Jesus, in his humanity, understood this. He experienced deep sorrow, anger, and even despair, yet he never allowed these emotions to consume him or define his purpose. Even when he was tempted by Satan, he found solace and strength in his relationship with God, turning to His Father in prayer and seeking guidance through His Word.
Matthew 26:41 - "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
This verse is part of Jesus' words to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, encouraging them to stay alert and pray to avoid falling into temptation.
In the same way, we can find comfort and strength in our relationship with God when we are facing difficult emotions. We can turn to Him for guidance, support, and understanding. Just as Jesus did, we can find solace in His love and trust in His plan for our lives.
Showcasing from Christ's Perspective
Okay, so imagine Jesus, right? He's walking around, doing his thing, helping people, teaching them, and all that good stuff. But here's the twist, he didn't always have it easy. He had his share of negative experiences too. He was misunderstood, rejected, even betrayed. But here's the amazing part: he never let those experiences crush him. Instead, he used them. He used them to fuel his compassion, his understanding, and his message of hope.
See, Jesus didn't just preach about love and forgiveness. He lived it. He lived it in the face of hatred, in the midst of suffering, in the presence of negativity. He didn't shy away from it; he embraced it and turned it into something powerful.
I find myself referring back to His final moments on the cross when He says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).
This profound act of grace and compassion serves as a constant reminder of the power of forgiveness. Even in the face of unimaginable pain and injustice, Jesus extended mercy to those who wronged Him. It should challenge us to approach life with the same spirit of forgiveness, understanding that holding onto resentment only weighs us down - it's never progressive. Through His example, we're reminded that forgiveness is not just for others—it’s a gift we give ourselves, freeing our hearts to heal and grow.
That's what the Holy Spirit provides us. It's the spirit within that connects us to God.
Embracing the Negative
Now, hold on a sec. I know what you're thinking: "Embrace the negative? Are you crazy?" But hear me out. It's not about wallowing in misery or pretending everything's sunshine and rainbows. It's about acknowledging those less-than-stellar feelings, those moments that make you want to pull the covers over your head and hide. It's about understanding that they're a part of life, a part of being human. The negative can be a teacher, a catalyst for growth, a reminder that you're not alone in this crazy, beautiful world. And the truth is, you don't have to fight against it; you can actually learn to work with it.
Think of it like this: if you were trying to build a house, you wouldn't just use sunshine and rainbows, would you? You'd need the sturdy foundation of bricks, the solid support of beams, and even the challenges of weather and terrain to make it strong. The negative, in a way, is like those necessary elements. It helps you understand what's important, what needs attention, what you need to grow from. It can help you develop resilience, build strength, and discover new depths within yourself. It's about accepting the whole package, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and realizing that each part is valuable in its own way.