How To Handle Bad News

I read the news online every day from a few different sources. There are so many foreboding stories now that I began to look for something encouraging. I had a hard time finding anything.

Some days, it seems that there is only bad news.

Between the martyrdom of the 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya, the expansion of ISIS into new territory and the thousands of young men from around the world that are flocking to join their barbarous ranks, the collapse of the government in Yemen, increased fighting in Ukraine and expanding influence of the Iranian regime, it’s hard to find something encouraging in world news.

What do we do in news cycles such as today?

Closer to home, how do we handle bad news in our personal lives?

Because how we handle bad news determines how we handle life. And research shows that those who do best in life, handle good news and bad news in similar ways. We have a lot of good examples in Scripture, but for this post, I’m thinking of Nehemiah.

• Be realistic. Bad news is inevitable. Good news is too. Life is a series of ups and downs. Even when everything looks gloomy, there are bright spots on the horizon, and vice versa. Tomorrow is another day and as Jean Meisner often says, “This too shall pass."
• Let yourself grieve. I grieve every time I hear of my brothers and sisters in the mideast being martyred (it’s happening more and more). 
• Be happy for those rejoicing. It’s healthy for us to enjoy good things in life through others, without becoming envious. As Paul told the Romans, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."
• Go to God about your struggles, but don’t forget to worship and praise. The Psalms are filled with examples of this from David. Even in his darkest times when he poured his heart out to God, he expressed gratitude for God’s goodness and worshipped him. It’s when you feel the least like worshipping that it will do you the most good!
• Trust God…and tell him so. It does something for us to verbalize our trust in God. Our faith increases when we express it. Again, this is not about how we feel, it’s about how we think. We may not have control over our feelings, but we can influence those feelings by taking control over our thinking. The things we do and the way we talk affects how we think and the way we think changes the way we feel. So don’t be afraid to tell God that you are struggling, but make sure you also tell him that you trust him.
• Finally, change what you can, and make the best of what you can't. You might not be able to influence the spread of ISIS in Iraq, but you can do something about the spread of gossip at work. You might not be able to lower the murder rate in Chicago, but you might be able to get involved in 180 Chicago and make a difference in one neighborhood. 

So bad news is inevitable. We all get it. But what we do with that news is what matters most. Will you turn it into something that honors God?