Men hate weakness, sadness, and feeling lost. So when someone says you need to practice sadness. There’s one common response, “No way!”

Some men will say practicing sadness means you look weak. It means you’re just groveling, babbling, and crying like a baby. And remember, men hate to look weak. (Weakness can get you beat up.)

Another belief is that sadness looks like a person is lost in endless emotional chaos. One man commented. “If you step into sadness, you’ll get lost and not be able to find your way out.”

But what does it mean if you practice healthy sadness? What is the purpose? What changes? What does healthy sadness produce?

Low sadness means your system is not working correctly. It means your system is partially turned off. Sadness is a way to connect with God, yourself, and another person.

Let’s continue. It’s very intimate to enter a place of sadness with a friend. That’s where deep bonding occurs. The opposite is also true. If you do not grieve well, you do not connect well. And, if you do not connect well, you end up living a shallow life.

Why does this matter?

No grief and sadness means you’re probably stuck in anger or numbness. Grieving is a way to release old baggage and move through current hurtful encounters.

Prayer

Father, please help me with emotional growth. Help me practice appropriate sadness. Help me grieve and connect with those who are walking through sadness. And help me do the opposite also. Help me find great joy and comfort in your presence. Amen.

Bible Connection

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. – Romans 12:15 (NIV)