Obedience is the cure for sadness.

Have you ever found yourself sad over the consequences of your own actions?  It happens.  You say something mean to your spouse or you get careless with the company's money and you end up having to face the aftermath of your inappropriate actions.  And the effects of the aftermath leave you feeling lonely, sad and embarrassed. When you find yourself in the middle of these repercussions, don't be sad, be obedient; don't be embarrassed, be obedient.  Obedience is the cure for sadness.  "Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord" (James 4:10) and obediently make amends for your actions:

• Text your spouse a heart-felt apology (with no '...IF I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry');
• Make arrangements to replace the money you carelessly "lost";
• Remind your teenager to speak with his/her teacher in order to correct the paper they plagiarized;
• Call your "friend" at work and tell them you can't "go to lunch" anymore;
• And most of all, fall on your knees, seek God's forgiveness and receive His mercy and grace.

Once you make amends for your actions and receive God's forgiveness (in other words, once you've been obedient), your sadness and humiliation will turn to peace and confidence...you'll see.

So the next time you find yourself in a place of difficulty, handle it God's way; you'll never be sorry you did.