Fight The Blues
We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient, those who, when an affliction visits them, say, “Indeed we belong to God, and to Him do we indeed return.” (Qur’an, 2:155-156).
You all have times when you wake up in the morning and feel the blahs and blues; you do not feel very excited. However, just because you feel those emotions does not mean you have to stay there and give in to them; you can shake it off and move forward in faith relying on God’s strength.
Know that having to choose to rule over negative feelings is something every person has to deal with. Do not think you are alone if you feel this way. Turn to God and His hope. Do not think, “If I just had more money, if I had a better job, if I had a different spouse, then I would be in a good mood; then I would not have to deal with these feelings.” No, you may think that, but every person has to fight the temptation to just give in and live by how he feels. God Almighty says,
“We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient, those who, when an affliction visits them, say," Indeed we belong to God, and to Him do we indeed return.” (Qur’an, 2:155-156).
And says,
“We will surely test you until We ascertain those of you who wage jihad (and strive), and those who are steadfast, and We shall appraise your record.” (Qur’an, 47:31).
One of the disciples of Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) ask him about trial and tribulation and how Almighty God reserves it for the believer. The Imam answered: “The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) was asked as to who was most severely put to trial in the world.
He said, “The Prophets, then the closer to perfection, and then the closer; and the believer is put to test in proportion to his faith and the merit of his deeds; he whose belief is correct and his deeds good, his trial is harder, and he whose belief is feeble and his deeds weaker, his trial is lesser”.”1
You may have many problems in your life and face some disasters, some afflictions but you should know that it is only a test of your faith and you should stay for the joy.
Know that as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) said, “This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the unbeliever.” you have to pass this test. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Know that God wants something better for you. God loves you and verily when God, the Mighty, the Great, loves a servant, He immerses him in tribulation thorough immersing.2
Keep your peace; control yourself and start passing this test. Know that God wants to refine you and purify you. Know that as Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said, “The believer is like the scale of a balance; the more his faith increases, the more his trouble increases.”3
He said, “A believer does not pass forty nights without something sorrowful happening to him, which reminds his Lord to him”,4 and said, “Worries and grieves always remain with a believer until they wipe out his sins.”5
Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said, “Verily God takes care of a believer through trials as a man takes care of his family through gifts during (his) absence; and denies to him the world as a physician denies harmful food to a patient.”6 And The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) said, If a believer were to live on a mountain, God, the Mighty, the Great, would surely send someone to him to annoy him, in order that He should give him [the believer] its reward.”7 Bible said, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”8
You can grow up. Almighty God tries to teach you to not rely on what everybody saying but instead to just do your best on to him. Stop looking at your problems and start looking at your God. Know that true joy is found only in God, when you take off your eyes of how you feel and your circumstances and place them on God and His Word.
Sometimes in hard situations, the best things you can do is reciting the Qur’an or talking to yourself. When you are tempted to be in a bad mood, go look in the mirror and say, “Listen here, self. You need to cheer up. Get your joy back; get your peace back. I am not going to live this day defeated.” You have to stay on the offensive. Do not wait until you have been down for three days before you decide to do something about it.
The moment you feel that discouragement trying to come on you, rise up and say, “No, I am not going there.” You wake up in the morning and feel the blahs, you say, “Nope; that is not for me. This is going to be a good day. It is the day the Lord has made.”
Do you know being in a sour mood because of your problems, does not make it better; it makes it worse. It puts more pressure on you. It makes you more miserable. A better approach is to say, “God, I am turning this situation over to You. I am not going to let it steal my joy. I know You are in control. And at the right time, I believe You will not only turn it around, but You will bring me out better off than I was before.”
That is how you rule over negative feelings. It is simply a decision that you make every day where you have to dig your heels in and decide that your feelings are not going to dictate what kind of day you are going to have. You can rule over your emotions and choose to be in a good mood in spite of how you feel. You can choose what kind of day you are going to have. You can choose how you are going to live your life.
Some of you, maybe in the natural, have a good reason to be down and discouraged, but do not allow yourself to go there. When you are stable in spite of what is come against you that is one of the best ways to show God that you trust Him; that you are faithful. The faithful are those to whom the people say,
“All the people have gathered against you; so fear them.” but that only increased them in faith, and they say, “God is sufficient for us, and He is an excellent trustee.” (Qur’an, 3:173).
Decide not to live by how you feel. Go deeper than that and start living by what you know. You know that
God has full command of His affairs, but most people do not know. (Qur’an, 12:21).
You know that
to God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and God has power over all things. (Qur’an, 3:189).
You know He has a great plan for your life. The Almighty says,
“No affliction visits the earth or yourselves but it is in a Book before We bring it about. That is indeed easy for God.” (Qur’an, 57:22).
You know His power is greater than any other power.
God’s hand is above their hands. (Qur’an, 48:10).
When you wake up and those old negative, discouraging thoughts and feelings come, shake them off. Be done with that roller coaster living. Do not give into your emotions and let them keep you from God’s blessings and promotion. Start choosing to live each day in God’s peace. Decide that you are going to have a great day. By doing so, you will see God work in your life in greater ways because your eyes are fixed toward Him instead of your situation.
Whoever puts his trust in God, He will suffice him. Indeed God carries through His command. (Qur’an, 65:3).
You will live the life of victory He has in store for you! So in hard situation be calm and just say,
“I entrust my affair to God. Indeed God sees best the servants.” (Qur’an, 40:44).
