Have you ever met that person who seems to relish in their misery? They may not be "a sad person" all the time, but they always seem to be battling some trial or reminiscing the woes of their last tragedy. A weakness I have (one you don't want to hear your pastor has... but here I am) is a tendency to grow frustrated at this type of behavior. It's not that I don't have tremendous sympathy for people who are facing their own life challenges. On the contrary, I'm a big believer in the idea that "everyone's tragedy is valid to them, so you have to treat that person as if you experience their tragedies just as deeply" (a catch-phrase from my youth ministry days). My frustration is mainly rooted in the act of wallowing in the emotional mud; in people who seem perfectly happy being known as "perpetually tormented" by the trials of this life with no desire to see opportunities for restoration.
It's difficult to interact with such people because many of us have a natural desire to help those in need. We hear someone is sad and it makes us want to give them a hug. We hear someone is stress and it makes us want to offer them some joy. When someone seems addicted to the sadness of their circumstances, it interferes with our natural desire to comfort and provide for those around us. Bluntly, those seeking to reflect the image of Christ want to offer restoration, but some people simply don't want it.
This came to mind a couple weeks ago when preparing my sermon. I ran across this verse in Paul's discourse on "Christian Ethics"...
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
For those who do not know Christ, its understandable that feelings of sadness and hopelessness may seem insurmountable. However, for those of us who know Christ, there is always hope. Christ is the ultimate demonstration of hope, providing a pathway to reconciliation with our Creator when sin seemed too much to overcome. Christ provides healing to the sick, restoration to the broken, and salvation to the lost. These are the hallmarks of a Messiah who emanates hope at every turn. Even as his body was tortured and broken on the cross, the hope of his return remained in the minds of his followers. Christ IS hope.
If Christ IS hope and we are renewed creations in Christ, how can we go through life's trials without any semblance of hope? The believer shouldn't just want to overcome their sadness; they should have confidence in the hope of Christ which gives them a sense of peace and joy. This isn't to say that we go through our trials laughing with smiling faces, but it does tell us that we shouldn't find comfort in our misery.
So if you are someone who loves to farm sympathy, maybe take a page from Paul in Romans 12 and approach your trials with patience and prayer. Rejoice in the hope given to us by our savior and lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ who are here to dispense comfort and mercy when you find it in short supply.
If you're any other believer, don't be like I used to be. Approach others' season of sadness with grace and mercy. Distribute blessings whenever possible. And whatever you do, remember that you are being gifted a chance to emanate the hope Christ gives us all. Don't let that gift go to waste.
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