Trusting God is HARD!
It is the middle of a pandemic and things have just been HARD!
I mean geez.
How do you trust God during HARD times like these?
Right now, wildfires are blazing like crazy in Greece, Siberia, & Northern California. ALL AT THE SAME time!
Right now, homelessness is the plight of many. Earthquakes and tropical storms have impacted Haiti causing many to be without residence. State level eviction moratoriums are changing by the day while tenants affected by the pandemic are arranging their financial affairs, but many will face future homelessness.
Right now, a delta variant more transmissible than the common cold and as contagious as chickenpox is sweeping across America. Personal prevention methods are being revisited as high recommendations for all - whether vaccinated or not.
I could go on and on about what all is happening, but you can probably tell me 5 or more additional problems going on in your personal life that are frustrating, confusing, and down right HARD!
Since August 1st I’ve been doing a Daniel Fast. This is a spiritual discipline many participate in either corporately or individually to receive answered prayer(s) and/or spiritual insight according to their faith/belief. For this fast, I wanted to align my heart and mind to the fruit of the Spirit (as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23) and lift specific people I know up in prayer for healing in their bodies.
Well! Guess what?!
On Day 2 I was hit with the Delta variant of COVID-19. Yep! Ya girl was down for the count and couldn’t get up for about two weeks straight. Talk about a HARD moment for me. In my mind I was ready to get moving with my life. I had just launched a beta version of my app for discipleship and I was really looking forward to engaging with the community there. I had a few other scheduled appearances & meetings scheduled early August and they were all canceled. Every plan I had was PAUSED while my body faced the symptoms of COVID and recovered. And boy was it a SLOW recovery process.
It was during this time that I said: “This sucks!” or “This is HARD!” Life really slowed down for me during this time and I was forced to focus on having my health restored. I know I’m the only one who has felt this way. For me, I was only facing a temporary illness. Someone who is going through a more terminal or long term illness has probably had several HARD internal conversations about their health. This state of mind is one that many go through even as a believer of Christ. As a matter of fact, this feeling is more normal than discussed across pulpits.
I truly believe that the way we SET our MINDS determines our MINDSET. So with that said, set your minds to know you are going through this HARD moment in life.
*PAUSE RIGHT THERE*
You are going through this. Set your mind to not STAY in the hardship, but look for the glimpse of hope that will pull you THROUGH this hardship. My mind went really low for a few days, but I had to set and daily reset my mind to look for the glimpses of hope to strengthen my soul, mind, and body. I do not know what will motivate you or encourage you, but I hope and pray that the tips I used through my hardship journey will help you as well:
Tip: ENDURE Scripture: Job 40-42; James 5:11
Encouragement: Endure through the tough moments! Hardships in life will come. There’s no way to anticipate when hardships will hit or how long they will last. But fight to remain in existence! The testing of our faith will happen. And when it does, the position of our faith will be proven.
Tip: SEEK Scripture: Matthew 6:33; Isaiah 55:6; 1 Chronicles 16:11
Encouragement: It is important to seek counsel from God and then others. When we don’t know what to do, seek out help. God has provided a great source of help - the Holy Spirit. In the middle of storms, it’s hard to see what is next. Reach out to others who have a healthier frame of mind and can think clearer than yourself. Reach out to your community (family or friends) who are willing to go the extra 10 miles when your body can’t go 1 mile.
Tip: CONNECT Scripture: James 1:22; John 15:5
Encouragement: As a believer of Jesus, I realized my speech (what I say to myself and then to others) should reflect my connection to Jesus. In Galatians, it talks about the 9 fruit of the [Holy] Spirit. And that Holy Spirit is a gift from Jesus for all the world to enjoy. If I believe in goodness, then I need to show goodness in my words and actions. If I believe in peace, then I need to show peace in my words and actions. It is really important to use the slow moments in life to really dive deep and connect to Jesus.
Tip: TRUST Scripture: Joshua 23:14; Psalm 71:5
Encouragement: God’s Word never fails. As a matter of fact, it will outlast every person on this planet. Accept that reality and lean into trusting God’s Promises. If you did not grow up knowing anything about God, now is your chance to stretch your spiritual walk and do something new in your routine to trust God. If the richest & wisest man to ever live trusted God, you should too!
Take a moment and center your mind on the scriptures above. After you’ve had a moment to SET or RESET your mind… FIGHT to remain in existence! Your life matters.
Let me know in the comments what are some of your tips for overcoming hardships.