Hang in There; Don’t Give up
4/13/2015
Hang in There; Don’t Give up
While playing around on social media I stumbled upon an article a friend had shared on her timeline. The article was titled “4 Things God Wants You to Remember When Life is Hard.” It was written by Dave Willis when he was having a hectic and stressful morning trying to get his children ready for school and out the door in time.
In life we all have stressful moments – times when things don’t go well, our finances are stretched thin, we’re ill, our church membership is declining, we’re looking for ways to get people to come Sunday School or trying to get our members interested in mission…The list can be endless.
Here are four things the author said we should remember when things get hard.
- Your character should always be stronger than your circumstances. It is hard to control what happens, but we can choose how we respond to it. Let’s keep a positive attitude and a thankful heart regardless of the matter. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Struggle always lead to Strength. All difficulties are things that God will use to produce more strength, faith and perseverance in you if you let him. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
- God’s timing is always perfect. His plans are perfect and they are not always the same as ours. We just need to patient. (Easier said than done) “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
- God will never leave your side. You may feel like you’re going through this struggle all alone, but from the moment you ask Jesus to bring you into God’s family, He will be by your side to the end so never lose hope! “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Reading this article made me think of the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. One question I usually get from people who go to Zimbabwe or people who hear me speak about Zimbabwe is, “How can the Zimbabwean people keep their faith and stay strong in such hard times?”
That is a question I have also asked myself. How does one get up and continue to persevere and stay strong while knowing that things will not get better, or might be the same tomorrow? Yet they still continue to praise God and thank him for all the blessings. But isn’t this the way life should be for Christians? It is not meant to be easy. Certainly life was not smooth sailing for Jesus. Acknowledging this is something that is easier said than done. We need to keep praying to God and continue to have faith, and not lean on our own understanding, but that of the Lord.
Hang in there! Do not give up!
