Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you suddenly find yourself in a challenging situation where everything feels like a struggle and your problems just add up out of proportion.
No matter what the situation is, you have a choice how you are going to respond to it. It all depends on your attitude. The fact is that life is not easy, and you can depend on it to not be fair. Bad things happen to good people. Whether you face the storms with courage, faith and a positive attitude or with cursing, frowning and complaining, you are not going to change the storms… they will come. It’s up to you if life’s challenging storms will make you better or bitter.
I believe a trail is a test of your faith, character and endurance. See it as an opportunity for a promotion towards spiritual growth and maturity. It is the struggle that gives us strength. Without opposition and resistance there is no potential for progress. Without the resistance of water, a ship cannot float and without the resistance of gravity one cannot walk.
Yet, it is the tendency of the human race to want things easily. We are always looking for the easy way out and the quickest way to get there.
No shortcuts to maturity
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in life to the things that are really worth having. There is no way to mature physically, emotionally of spiritually without growth. A seed in the ground must break through its own shell and then through various layers of soil before it can finally be in the sunlight. Even then the small plant must endure extreme weather conditions before it finally can become a mature tree fulfilling its purpose of bearing fruit.
The Bible says work out your own salvation. Salvation is more than a one time prayer. It is constantly working with God dealing with the issues till victory is eventually part of your life. God never promised that we would not have challenges. In fact, He said just the opposite. 1 Petrus 1: 6-7 states “6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (New International Version, NLV)
When you go through difficult times make sure you past the test. Do not be stubborn and hard headed. Recognise that God is refining you, knocking off some of your rough edges. Stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God has called all of us to become overcomers.
If you will work with God and keep a good attitude, then no matter what comes against you, the Bible says that all things, not just the good things in life, but all things will work together for your good. When you are struggling, read Romans 8 again and make verses 37 – 39 your own. “37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[ k ] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NLV)
Some practical tips to carry you through a storm
- Keep an attitude of gratitude. Focus on the things that you are grateful for even in times of struggle.
- Don’t try to face a storm alone. Talk to someone you can trust, who will listen, give sound advice and jut be there for you.
- Let go of things that are beyond your control, and work on the things that you can change.
- Be kind to yourself. Facing a storm is difficult. Make sure you get plenty of rest and eat healthy.
- Sometimes your circumstances can become so severe that your whole life can come to a standstill, use the time to draw nearer to God.
- Don’t make hasty decisions. In times of grief or trauma you cannot think clearly, and rash emotional decisions at this point can only make matters worse.
- This will pass too. Whatever life-altering circumstances you are facing, the storm will pass, and you will be able to establish a new routine and a new normal again.
- Never give up. You are more than a conqueror in Christ and you were born to have a life of success and a spirit of excellence.
- Keep praying.
Not all of life’s curveballs are traumatic life-changing events like the death of a loved one, divorce or a terminal illness. Sometimes it can just be a lot of small things suddenly going wrong in various ways, from a traffic jam making you late for work to your car that suddenly has an expensive breakdown. Be careful to not make things worse with negative self-talk and by surrounding yourself with pessimistic people.
Talk positively, telling yourself things such as “This is an uncomfortable situation, but I can stand the discomfort,” or “this is hard to bear, but I can bear it – some difficult things are worth tolerating.”
When the next storm comes your way, remember you cannot stop it from hitting you, but you do have a choice how to react to it.
