As the year comes to end, many are feeling stressed about finals and preparations for going home. Others are  thinking that nothing is going right in their lives. Others are being confronted with issues that they have no control over and limited strength to handle. In times like these, students, and people in general, need to search within themselves and their surroundings for happiness.

Christians in particular must remember to turn to the Lord. The world is a dark and scary place full of hatred. In the media, there are constantly stories about terrorism, hate crimes, murders, starvation and an abundance of other terrible things. No one has a perfect life; no one is happy at all times. This world is fallen but with the Lord we can still stand in it.

Optimism is the Lord. God wouldn’t let someone’s entire life be full of pain. Even in the toughest times, God gives His people something that they can turn to for joy. For some, that is family. Others have art and some people have good friends. In all times, we have something we can be thankful for and grateful of.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Nothing in this world, or even in the underworld, has the strength or power to extinguish the light of the Lord; therefore, even when we feel struck down by everything in life, God’s light still burns bright within us. He will never abandon us or forget about us.

Sometimes we get caught up in all of our worldly problems that we forget about the great gift of a God who loves us and is always with us. At times when you feel pessimistic, turn to the eternal source of optimism.

As the old cliche goes, “every cloud has a silver lining”. Even in the darkest of times, there are glimmers of happiness and joy. We just have to look for them.

Contact Jasmine Barnes at [email protected]