you keep finding yourself in the same battle, it is time to do something different. Taste your words before you spit them out. What you say to others in anger or sarcastically, may bite you back later. No one has ever made himself great by showing how small someone else is. Remember, words only hurt when you allow yourself to believe them. “The more words you speak, then less they mean. So what good are they?” (Ecclesiastes 6:11)
There are some things you would not understand until later but, you have to live now to get to later. Even though life may seem like it is in perpetual winter, yet season pass and rejuvenation takes growth in the sorrows of yesterday. You cannot live out your life in the sand, just because you started in the sand. Your struggle is not your identity, how you deal with it is. Do not look at things the way they are, believe God for how they could be. You may not understand today or tomorrow, but eventually God will reveal why you went through everything you did. Delay does not necessarily mean denial.
Though we identify the immediate cause of our delays, like a traffic light or the long checkout line but, the Lord is in control. Keep your hopes high, but do not let them become a substitute for your efforts. Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed. Character is always revealed when we are under pressure. “Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.” (Romans 12:12)
Sometimes you may face difficulties in life, not because you are doing something wrong but, because you are doing something right. Job was not tested because he did anything wrong. He was tested because he lived a life of righteousness before God. Although this may be a hard pill to swallow for some, the reason you are being attacked is due to your decision to obey God. As tough as things got, God never allowed the enemy to have the victory over Job.
And, He will not allow the enemy to be victorious in your situation either. For the Bible says “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands…, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world” (Deuteronomy 28:1).
By the way, have you ever had a door of opportunity slam in your face? A job application…that you did not get; a loan…that was turned down; a friendship or relationship…that ended; a proposal…where the answer was no. Well, when all these happen, do not be afraid to get back up and try again, love again, live again, and dream again. Do not let a hard lesson harden your heart. Life’s best lessons are often learned at the worst times and from the worst situations. Yes, there will be times when it seems like everything is going wrong and you might feel like you will be stuck in this rut forever, but you would not.
When you feel like quitting, remember sometimes things have to go wrong before they can be right. Sometimes you have to go through the worst, to arrive at your best. Yes, life is tough, but you must be tougher. Do not stress over things you cannot change. “And let the peace of God rule in your heart…” (Colossians 3:15)
At some point in life the load just seems too heavy to bear anymore. But, thankfully that is when Jesus steps in. As you just had a door of opportunity slammed in your face. A job that you did not get, a loan application that was turned down; a friendship or relationship that has just ended, and all these has made you hate endings, goodbyes and changes.
But, the endings you are going through right now bring about the beginnings you have been waiting for. No matter how great the anxiety of starting over becomes, the joy of finally getting it right will supersede the frustration of the moment. One of the best feelings is finally being able to say “I am over it.” For promotion comes neither from east nor from west nor from the south. But, God is the judge. May, “the Lord raise up the standard for you when the enemy comes in like floods.” (Isaiah 59:19)
Wherever you are, whatever struggle that you are walking through, know you are not alone, and there is grace, every step along the way. The beginnings are usually scary but, endings are usually better. Do not look back and wonder why things went wrong. It happened for a reason. Your better days are ahead of you. Do not regret for not doing more. It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit. Do not be stressed as you endure your test. God is yet on the throne and He is working it out for your good. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life” (James 1:12)
If you cannot see clearly while the mist of confusion surrounds, let it settle, then decide your plan of action.
When you lack or have nothing, it seem okay to want things other people have; it is quite natural that we should want good things for ourselves. But, the bible says “do not covert”, meaning to desire (someone or something) obsessively, wrongfully, and/or without due regard for the rights/feelings of others. It is a strong emotion, to be avoided. So, we should not fool ourselves into thinking that other people have picture-perfect lives.
Everyone struggles, everyone hurts, and everyone is enduring something that they probably would not tell you about. Whatever picture people paint their life as, rest assured that any one’s life in all its parts is beautiful and ugly, hopeful and weary, a blessing and an everyday battle.
Focus on the good parts of your life and do not be ashamed for your own set of problems because if you knew what everyone else was going through, you would probably still choose your own life and stop comparing yourself to anyone.
And; while we are at it, let us be a little kinder to each other along the way. Understanding that people do not have to be nice to you, give their time to you. They do not have to believe in you. So, once somebody does, take it, cherish it, reciprocate it. In a nutshell be your brother’s or sister’s keeper.
Beloved, do not hesitate to come to your Heavenly Father. God, who is full of goodness and supply, is always willing to bless and heal you. So, never underestimate what God can do for you even this day. “…you shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29)
For as I mentioned earlier, everyone struggles but, not everyone knows God. Do not be ashamed to ask for directions, God is waiting on your humble spirit so He can take you higher. God does not just point the way. He leads the way. His love is beyond what words can describe. He got His children in the palm of his hand. You are not alone, lean on the One who leads you. As the book of (Isaiah 58:11) said “The LORD will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.”
Sometimes it is hard to move forward in life when you do not have anything to look forward to. Ask yourself what your life would look like if you direct it instead of drifting through it. When you have your life pleases God, everything else will fall into place. He is the One who goes before you and make the crooked way straight. Rest in that assurance knowing that He is ahead of you on your journey. Nobody can determine your end, because God is in full control of your life. In fact how your life turns out depends on who you agree with. God or the devil.
You cannot expect God’s best if you are planning for the worst. God has placed the control of all things in your control. Take charge. Everything is under your feet including the devil. You have the final say and, God has promised to back you up if you call upon Him. For God does not move in your life when you struggle; He moves when you pray. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)
No person, no sickness, no disappointment can stop God’s plan for your life. What He promised will come to pass. It is not where you are in life, it is who you have by your side that matters. No earthly situation has the power to put you outside God’s care. As long as you
