Misery may love company, but ultimately, has none. And that is because it loves self-justification, self-pity, and self-righteousness, truly jealous roommates. When we discover a person who is wallowing in those things, it often is someone who does so in spite of many potential sources of help and the counsel
of friends and neighbors. He or she has driven away the potential joys of relationships and embraced the dark and bitter side of life.
But there is a way to navigate misery without grounding the boat on the rocky shoals of denial or cynicism. Jesus was, as prophesied, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” but He never allowed those things to dictate to Him. Rather, He knew both who He was AND that this fallen world we live in was temporary, and will be replaced by a world of righteousness, love, and joy. That’s what enabled Him to lay down His life for others. You can read the story in John, chapter thirteen.
When we see the world through the eyes of faith for what it truly is, then it will neither terrorize or immobilize us. Instead, it brings us to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God,” causing us to embrace difficulty with the knowledge that all is well with our soul. A glorious eternity awaits.
“All the days of the afflicted are evil,
but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.”
Proverbs 15:15