How To Lean on God During Difficult Times
Dear Friends,
Today I want to encourage you to lean on God during difficult times. We all go through hard times at some point in our lives. Sometimes we see it coming and we can prepare for it a little bit. Like delivering a baby, you know you are going to have to if you’re pregnant, so you can do things to prepare yourself mentally and physically for it, even though you don’t know exactly what will happen. Other times, trials hit us like a slap in the face with no warning what so ever. Leaving no time or opportunity to prepare. I am no stranger to both types of difficulty as are most people I’m sure. I don’t know about you, but the latter trials, the ones that just hit without warning, tend to be the most difficult for me to get through.
I have heard it said that ‘God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.’ I understand that it is supposed to be some form of encouragement but it doesn’t always work that way for me at least. I sometimes think ‘Is that it’ or ’Is it going to get worse because God knows I can handle more?’ It can be the opposite of encouragement because it leaves me wondering how many trials I will have to go through and for how long, because I don’t feel completely broken yet which must mean I can handle more, and if I recognize that, God certainly knows it. I asked my pastor about that phrase and something that he said that really stuck with me is “It is by being filled with Christ’s power that we overcome difficulty – even more difficulty than we ourselves can bear.” He said he does not necessarily think that God gives us only what we can handle alone, rather he gives us the strength to overcome what we by ourselves cannot handle. That is more comforting. It is much more reassuring to know that we are not going through trials alone. 2 Corinthians 9-10 says; “But He said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I definitely don’t boast about my difficulties like Paul is happy to do here. I complain, sometimes I cry, I get angry, I do so many different things, but boasting never really comes to mind. I do love the last part of 2 Corinthians 10 “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” While I don’t boast about the trials I go through, I do try to see the benefit of them, at the very least, after I am through them. This is a great way to see how God helped you through a trial, try to see how you benefitted from it. Then thank God for helping you through it for that benefit.
An interesting thing to consider is that Paul has the correct attitude about trials when he considers them something he should gladly boast about. God told Paul that His power was perfected in Paul’s weakness. Doesn’t this mean then that God’s power is perfected in all of us when we are weak? In 1 Peter 1:6-7 it says; “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.” Also in James 1:2-3 it says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” And then in James 1:12 it says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those that love him.” God does not seem to just allow us to go through trials, He wants us to, because he wants to bring us closer to Him and show us in the heat of the moment, that He can and will sustain us. He is also helping us develop our faith and perseverance.
Sometimes we don’t just go through random difficult times, like a car breaking down that needs immediate costly repair, sometimes a person or people are the cause of our hard time. I think God also uses these trials to develop us in different ways. One of the characteristics we develop during hard times caused by someone is meekness. My favorite definition of meekness is that it is restrained power. It is not weak, it is self discipline. Consider in Proverbs 15:1 it says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” How much self restraint would that take to control yourself when someone is confronting you as they have wronged you? In the heat of the moment you may just want to scream at them or worse. He gives you the opportunity to be gentle and exercise self-control here, and to be faithful to Him knowing that whatever has happened He will provide. These kinds of trials make me think of Job and everything he went through but stayed faithful. It also makes me think of 1 Peter 3:14-17 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy. Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect. Having a conscience so that when you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” Job’s friends questioned his faith and it wasn’t until he prayed for them that his wealth was restored and he was blessed with twice as much as he had before. I cannot even imagine being in Job’s position, enduring so much suffering that your friends are questioning your faith, and not only did Job remain faithful but he prayed for his friends despite his own suffering. That is amazing and inspirational.
Sometimes we make a mistake or a poor decision that causes a time of suffering and in our darkest hour it might feel as if we are being punished because we think maybe our decision was not God’s will. A dear friend said, God is so good because, even if we don’t follow God’s path, maybe we mess up or think we want to go another way, He meets us halfway, almost as if to say it’s ok, we’ll pick up from here and keep moving forward.
It seems to be in the trials that the fruits of the spirit that God blesses us with are revealed and put into practice the most. 1 John 5:14 says, “If we ask anything according to His will; He hears us.” Think about that, if we’re asking for patience, or self-control, or faithfulness, God is not just serving these up on a silver platter, He instead gives us the opportunity to develop these qualities. My wonderful husband was completely correct I think, when he said he wants to have these fruits, and he is happy to receive them, but finds himself hesitant to ask in prayer for them, because he knows God will give the opportunity to use these fruits, and that opportunity might be unpleasant.
So how can you lean on God to get through difficult times? Start by putting aside your fear and giving it to God. He says fear not 365 times in the Bible, once for every day of the year. Put on the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6 14-18 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Pray continuously. And know that God does not let you go through only what you can handle, He gives you what you need to handle it; Him.
Your Friend,
Amanda
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