By Donna Gibbs
Life sometimes throws some tough blows, doesn’t it? Have you experienced a challenging season? Are you in the midst of a struggle right now? An all-out war? A crisis? Life this side of eternity is just hard sometimes. And, during those times, we often feel anything but tough. We feel broken. Weak. Defeated.
How do we cope when life gets tough? That question is second only to the question, “Why?” Here are a few thoughts that may direct you through the foggiest of times. They are simply areas of remembrance:
- Remember that life is hard for everyone at times. You are not unique. There is nothing different about you. Others really do understand what it is like to struggle (the enemy will lead you to believe that you are alone in this, and that no one else could possibly ever understand).
- Remember that this is just a season. According to Ecclesiastes 3, there are appointed times for various seasons of life. Some of these seasons are refreshing, wonderful, joyous times. Other times are tough times. Disastrous. Incredibly sad times. Tough times are a normal aspect of living the human existence. Even permanent changes do not have to lead to permanent struggles. Struggles are temporary – label them as such.
- Remember what you already know. When life gets tough, and there is a vast unknown ahead, everything feels chaotic and we can easily become completely overwhelmed. We must allow ourselves to be grounded by what we DO know, versus overwhelmed by what we DON’T know. Take a deep breath, and ask yourself, “Even now, in the midst of my pain, Who do I know…that I know…that I know….that God is?” Then ground yourself in simple, reliable truth until the fog begins to clear.
- Remember other times in your life in which you faced a storm, and you survived. Think back to how you coped. What did you do that made that tough time in your life even worse? What did you do that built resilience and allowed you to make it through that discouraging season? What did you ultimately learn through that trial that you desperately need to remember today, in this current season?
- Remember that God grows us through the tough stuff. Look with expectation for the strength and resilience that is being forced upon you as you survive your trial. Though you may not thank God for your struggle, be sure to thank Him for the strength to survive, and the growing experience you are encountering.
If you are in a tough spot today, I pray your season will soon come to a close, and that you will gain from this tough time all of the beautiful things that God can bring from it!
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-7
