Facing Difficulties

Gratefulness is expressing sincere appreciation to God and to others for the ways that they have benefited my life. Gratefulness is the foundation of a believer’s walk with God and of God’s daily will for our lives. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Patience is welcoming trials and tribulations as friends and allowing them to perfect our character. The trials Job endured were terrible disasters. Yet his response reveals the purifying and perfecting that patience in trials can produce in a believer’s life.

Determination presupposes careful consideration of the cost and requirements of a task and a decision that the task is worth whatever expenses are necessary to achieve it.

Creativity is cultivating wise thoughts, prudent words, and skillful actions to carry out God’s will. Creativity is used for making not only things but also plans.

Whenever the news highlights the devastating impact of a hurricane, flood, or other natural disaster, a common question arises, one that also resurfaces whenever we confront tragedy or painful circumstances in our lives: Why does God let bad things happen?

Losing a job is rarely seen as a good thing, especially since financial pressures can cause tremendous tensions in a marriage and family. When someone loses a job, he or she may have a tendency to blame people or circumstances or to despise God, but God promises to provide for all our needs through the riches of Christ. (See Philippians 4:19.) By seriously asking the question “Why did God let this happen?” we can begin to discern how God might bring good out of the situation. When someone loses his or her job, God may want to teach them the following: To learn to rely on the Lord for provision rather than on an employer. Scripture affirms that it is God “that giveth thee power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18), not an earthly employer. When God allows us to lose our earthly source of income, He is affirming our need to totally depend upon Him. To experience the fellowship of receiving “daily bread” rather than regular paychecks. The Lord taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), not “give us this month our regular paycheck.” Nevertheless, we have a natural tendency to desire independence and […]

What is a Christian to do when faced with disappointment, disaster, and despair? Scripture teaches us that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Yet when we encounter difficulties, we often wonder, Why?

Anger is a symptom of something deeper, and only when we understand the root cause of our anger are we able to find the answers for resolving it.

A steward is someone entrusted with valuable possessions of another, such as an estate, a dwelling, or even one’s children. God entrusts us to be stewards of His possessions. Whatever has been given to me for my use ultimately belongs to God, and I am simply a caretaker of His belongings.

Crying out to God is an act of desperation and total concentration. It is a fervent expression of faith in God and trust in His goodness and power to act on your behalf.

When your heart is desperate, it’s hard to simply pray a quick, soft prayer—you are more likely to cry out with emotion and passion! God promises to hear these cries for help, to work and to receive glory for rescuing us in the midst of despair. “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:15).

When adversity comes, we are forced to face problems and pressures that are too great for us to resolve. In this way, God gets our attention.

The process of maturity that occurs as you respond well to irritations resembles the process of cutting and polishing a precious gem. Through careful planning and precise actions, smooth facets are created on the surface of the stone to increase the gem’s capacity to reflect light. As you learn to respond to irritations with faith and patience, your life will reflect the love and light of Jesus Christ with greater brilliance.

When you face disappointment and pain, how can you continue to trust God, give Him thanks, and choose to rejoice? Sometimes it seems impossible to obey the commands God gives in His Word.

When you’ve been wronged, becoming bitter toward your offender is natural and seems like the way to get revenge. However, this response actually harms you more than it harms your offender! To be bitter is to be in bondage to hatred and wrath.

The specific circumstances of Jesus’ life fulfilled Biblical prophecy and qualified Him to complete His redemptive mission. Similarly, God prescribes our unchangeable features according to His design.

As we yield—by faith—to God’s goal of conforming us to the image and the character of His Son Jesus, each circumstance in a believer’s life functions as a tool that can shape him or her into the “exact likeness” of Christ.