Nobody ever said life was easy! The Bible promises that in His future kingdom, “God will wipe away all tears,” (see Revelation 21:4) but until His righteous government is fully established in His perfect timing, sometimes we can feel sad or frustrated.
The key is to not let these feelings overwhelm us. When we get upset, one thing we can do is breathe before reacting. We can take a deep breath and pretend we’re blowing out candles on a birthday cake, like after making a wish. But instead of a wish, we can say a prayer, since we can take everything to God in prayer.
While doing our special “birthday cake breathing,” we can ask God to help us feel calm, so we can react to the problem in a kind, thoughtful way that would be pleasing to Him. We can also share our problem with our parents or a trusted adult, so they can help, too.
If the problem is with a friend, let’s think of a better way to react than getting sad or frustrated. We could say something like, “When you don’t play with me, I feel sad,” or, “I feel frustrated when you don’t share with me.” Talking it out in a nice way can solve a lot of issues!
One of the most difficult challenges we all face is losing a loved one. Jesus’ miraculous raising of Lazarus teaches us that death is like sleeping. Everyone who has died and is in the grave, is awaiting the time when they will hear Jesus’ voice also and be awakened.(See John 11:38-44; 5:28)
Sometimes, issues we learn about in school or see on the news can upset us. We see trees being cut down in the rainforest or animals affected by pollution and wonder what we can do. We can learn more about these issues and think of ways we can help – maybe it’s buying specific products or sharing what we’ve learned with others to hopefully inspire positive changes!
When our feelings get so big that we feel overwhelmed, sometimes physical activity can help. We can let out our feelings in active ways, like playing basketball, running, or even singing loudly. Sometimes the best comfort can come from a family member in the form of a big hug!
One more thing we can do is memorize comforting scriptures, such as Revelation 21:4, (NLT, quoted earlier) because it’s about what God will do in His future kingdom: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
So, what can we do when we’re sad or frustrated? We can breathe, pray, and let others know our feelings in a nice way. We can learn more about issues that bother us and tell others what we’ve learned. Physical activity is a healthy way to get overwhelming feelings out, and memorizing scriptures is a wonderful way to feel comforted by God’s promises. After all, God loves us, wants what’s best for us, and has everything under control!
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
