There are many obstacles, roadblocks and disappointments that we encounter on our journey in life while we are pursuing all that God has in store for us. We must learn that failure is not final and that set backs can become set ups for God’s plan to be revealed in our lives. Some circumstances may knock us down, but they can’t knock us out of the will of God.
There will also be some circumstances that are simply beyond your control. This can be a difficult place to be in, especially if you are the type of person that needs to be in control of your surroundings.
So whatever tough time you are facing, it’s imperative to remember that God is always right there with you. Through His love, His Word and guidance, He empowers all of us to get back up, become resilient and overcome tough times.
Here are five steps that you can begin to take right now that will help get you through a tough time.
Make prayer your first response.
Prayer is a powerful force that we all have at our disposal. However, many times we use it as our last resort when in a crisis moment. We must learn to hit our knees first when life gives us an unexpected gut punch out of nowhere.
King David and his mighty men were valiant and victorious on the battlefield on many occasions. However there was one instance when they were returning home from battle, that they found their entire village burned to the ground. It was definitely a gut punch to all of them.The enemy took all of their wives, children and livestock captive. David’s mighty men had break down moments in which they began to blame David for this tragedy and they even went so far as to discuss killing him.
David, grieving for his own wife and children, and then hearing his own men talk about killing him, decided to use prayer as his first response. He knew his problem was much bigger than him but not to big for his God. Through prayer he asked God what he should do about this tragedy and God answered with a plan for David to follow. David and his men pursued the enemy and recovered all that was taken from them.
In moments of tragedy and crisis, you will hear many voices going through your mind that have the power to influence your next step in seeking a resolution or creating an even bigger problem. This is why it’s so important to push through the noise and seek God for what you should do next.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.-Philippians 4:6 NIV
Learn to forgive.
We have all been wronged, betrayed, or taken advantage of at least a time or two. We may have memories of a painful experience or event with another person that still bother us today. Whether you’ve been hurt by a family member, friend, coworker, boss or a spouse, it’s time to forgive and let it go.
Unforgiveness has the power to keep us from moving forward while the person we are angry with has moved on with his or her life. While they are free, we are held captive by memories and emotions that continue to drain us of energy and ambition.
The story of Joseph is compiled with betrayal, forgiveness and resilience. He was a young man that had a great dream from God that had him headed towards a great destiny. When he told his dreams to his brothers, they became very jealous of him and his dreams.
They soon devised a plan to get rid of Joseph that began with them throwing him into a pit and then selling him into slavery. This started a snowball effect of things definitely going in a polar opposite direction of what Joseph’s dreams reflected. But God used this unfortunate journey to promote Joseph to the position of leadership that He intended all along. Joseph went from being in a pit, to slavery, to prison and then ended up in a palace and second in command to Pharaoh.
At the end of the story it’s very evident that Joseph had forgiven his brothers and was now in a position of leadership in which he could provide for them and his household. It was his willingness to reach a place of forgiveness that allowed him to keep dreaming of a better day and reach his destiny.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.-Ephesians 4:32 NKJ
Let go of what didn’t happen and embrace what can happen.
We’ve all had those times in our lives when we were expecting something to happen and it didn’t, only to leave us disappointed and even hopeless at times.
You thought the relationship would work out and it didn’t.
You thought you were next in line for the promotion, and to your surprise, it went to someone else.
You put your trust in someone and they let you down.
You thought a door of opportunity was opening for you, and then all of a sudden, for reasons out of your control, it slammed shut.
When a door closes, quit standing there looking at it.This is not the end of the world, no matter how you feel about it. How you respond is the key to overcoming this moment. You have to learn to let go of what didn’t happen so you can get ready to experience what can happen.
Today make a decision to let go of the past so that you can begin to embrace the new thing that God has in store for you. Don’t spend anymore time re-living or rehearsing the thing that happened in your past.You can’t fix it or change it.The best thing to do is let it go.
Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare.-Isaiah 42:9
Draw close to God.
If you’re not careful, life can get so busy to where your relationship with God begins to take a back seat or second place to everything else that’s on your daily schedule. Before long you will find yourself running on empty with nothing to give.
Imagine yourself driving down the road in your car and you get stuck in a huge traffic jam. To make matters worse, your low fuel light comes on. Now you’re in a panic as you google map request the nearest gas station and hope the traffic jam clears so you can make it before you run out of gas. You’re frustrated, angry and may be on the verge of road rage.
Spending time with God and reading His Word will give you the strength and endurance needed to run your race. It keeps your spiritual tank from reaching low. His presence will empower you and His Word will provide the nourishment for your soul as well as continued guidance for your Christian walk.
Commit to making this a daily habit by taking a few minutes every day to spend time with your Heavenly Father.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.-James 4:8 NKJ
Start believing again.
Many people think that when they hit tough times or setbacks, it must be a sign from God that they are going in the wrong direction. Often times the resistance we face can mean that we are going in the right direction. Even dreams from God come with adversity and setbacks, but you must keep believing that things will work out.
Don’t let your past circumstances dictate your level of belief in a better tomorrow. Move beyond the fear of failure and start trusting God for a comeback.
God has so much in store for you. He still has a plan for your life. He is still preparing you for greatness. Start believing that your next days will be your best days.
Begin to make some declarations on a daily basis.
I believe that God’s best is yet to come.I believe that I will overcome.I believe that God is for me.
I believe that my worst days are behind me.
I believe that something good is headed my way.
I believe that I will reach my destiny.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:13 NKJ
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.-Romans 8:28 NKJ
So whatever tough time that you are experiencing right now, you must remember that this too shall pass. You are not alone.You are not the only one going through a tough time at the moment. No season can last forever. You will get through this and you will come out stronger than ever as a result of it.
Keep fighting the good fight. Finish your race. Keep the faith.
