Life rarely makes us happy. Happiness is an elusive feeling dependent on circumstances. It seems people are generally unhappy much of the time. Some certainly are going through traumatic times, but why are so many engulfed in discouragement & depression despite the quality of life being higher than ever?
You’d think with so much unhappiness that life is terrible, but it’s objectively not. We’ve grown so accustomed to how great life is in these modern times that we forget how much real hardship people used to endure. Compared to previous generations & the current world population, we enjoy a far greater quality of life, living like royalty. We enjoy better & more abundant food, longer life expectancy, better health, greater security, & experience pleasures unimagined in times past. We have greater material goods, medicines, technology, & conveniences than ever before.
Yet, so many are still not happy. They focus on the things that are difficult & frustrating. Sometimes such discouragement is the result of bad choices. With such a strong connection between our bodies & our emotions, we have to monitor our physical health. Are you feeling down because of failing to rest, eat properly, or exercise? When we feel overweight, out of shape, & fatigued, it affects our moods. We could feel better if we cut out the junk food, lost weight, exercised, went for a walk & to bed earlier. When the prophet Elijah faced intense discouragement, the Lord sent an angel to give him a nap & snack (1 Kings 19:1-8).
Are you feeling down because of what you feed your mind? If you’re filling your thoughts with negative news & nasty entertainment, it darkens your perspective. If we instead shut off the TV more, & stopped scrolling through so much addictive social media garbage, we’d feel better. If we filled our minds instead with more positive things, especially God’s Word, we’d be more encouraged (Phil. 4:8). Scripture is powerful for transforming our thought patterns. You may not be able to talk yourself out of discouragement, but reminding yourself of what God says can be a game-changer.
But there are times of discouragement that we cannot prevent. The rain falls on everyone (Matt. 5:45). Nobody can live on the mountaintops of warm sun & blue skies indefinitely. We inevitably go through dark valleys, but David reminds us that our Good Shepherd walks with us (Ps. 23). Valleys can be traversed—we don’t have to remain in the ruts of misery. We walk through them so that we can arrive in a place of light—a brighter & better place. But a person can still choose to remain in the valley by denying there’s any light on the other side.
When life is going smoothly, we rarely develop because we’re not depending on God. But when we’re knocked down to our knees in discouragement, we’re in the perfect posture for prayer. Difficult times develop depth, maturity, & resilience in us. Faith grows stronger in those shadows as we choose to fear no evil & not to give in to dark feelings. Focus on God’s power instead of the problems. Be grateful for the good things.
David also cried out: “Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” (Ps. 42:11). “Downcast” could be applied to helpless sheep that had fallen down with legs sticking straight up. Such sheep would kick & flail, bleat & cry out pathetically. Depression has that “cast down” effect, leaving people feeling upside down & helpless. The Shepherd gently lifts us back on our feet, & restores our souls.
At one point, David was greatly distressed because his own people were considering stoning him. “But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Sam. 30:6). He bolstered his own spirit by relying on God rather than crumbling under pressure. He didn’t wait for the circumstances to change or for others to come encourage him. He sought the Lord, & took action. It wasn’t just about feeling better.
Few, if any, New Testament references address depression. Paul underwent terrible times of rejection, ridicule, & deprivation. But he chose gratitude IN all things—not FOR all things—often in spite of bad things (1 Thess. 5:18). He deliberately focused on his calling to live for God & what awaited him once he finished (Phil. 3:13-14). He knew he had an eternal purpose beyond temporary tribulations. Did that calling keep dark feelings from overwhelming him? Instead of focusing on yourself, get involved in the lives of others. Help someone. Serve in the cause of Christ, the greatest cause in the world.
Momentary feelings of happiness are overrated anyway. The famed Notre Dame coach, Lou Holtz, died a couple of days ago. He once said, “If you want to be happy for an hour, eat a steak; if you want to be happy for a day, go play golf. If you wanna be happy for a week, go take a vacation, but if you wanna be happy for a lifetime, put your faith in Jesus Christ.” That kind of happiness doesn’t just happen—it’s chosen.