God allows adversities to come into our lives for many reasons
I know I had to overcome a huge life change making it on my own as a single mother.
I went through self-pity and depression, feeling sorry for myself because I had it so hard.
I went through jealousy, thinking about how everyone else had it so easy.
I went through fear and anxiety, what if I can’t make it, what if I don’t have enough money.
So why doesn’t God just allow us to have an easy-breezy life without any challenges if He claims to love us so much?
It’s simple, if we don’t experience these adversities, we won’t see the need to seek Him, to get close to Him and trust Him. How many times have we had it so good that we forget to even thank Him? What’s the point when life is going great.
Looking back in hindsight, I know when I lived at home with my family in that huge house, without having to pay any bills, I was walking around ungrateful. I complained about my mother a lot because she complained about how we didn’t get things done on time or done her way.
I took it all for granted and realized when hardship came in how good I had it.
During the times of struggle and hardship, instead of going into depression and comparing, as I did, seek God and pray through the storm.
Ask Him what it is that you need to learn from it and what He would like you to do.
This is time to get creative too. Instead of getting stuck, paralyzed and worry, use your resources and start asking for help and doing research.
Turn to scripture to seek what God has for you
The Bible is God’s Word and His only way to communicate with us of what He wants us to do and how He wants us to live amongst everyone.
Get a Bible App. I love the Bible App by Youversion. It sends you a scripture of the day, you can search the Bible of what it says about any topic. You can even follow a plan based on what you feel or want to learn.
It also has every single version you can think of so if you don’t like to read in the King James version because you didn’t understand Shakespear in highschool, don’t let that stop you. Change it to the Amplified version, that’s my favorite, it says it in plain English and amps it up!
Here is one of the comforting scriptures I turn to when I am facing hard times:
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 or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
That verse right there is repeated in other books such as:
So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
Now someone may be thinking so what, God specifically spoke to those people during their struggles and reminded them that He was with them.
But the same God loves us and wants the best for us and those Scriptures are as relevant to them as it is to us today.
Another reason God wants us to suffer is to learn to be humble
Yes, we can get ahead of ourselves and think we are better than others and when that happens God steps in to teach us that we need to get rid of that sin and humble ourselves and know that we do need Him.
I had to humble myself when I lived on my own. The things that I took for granted while living at home I could no longer do on my own. My credit went down the drain, I had fewer clothes, I had fewer shoes, I couldn’t go out to eat or out on weekends like I used to. I couldn’t buy expensive makeup anymore, actually I quit wearing it all together. I turned out fine and even though I lived minimalistic, nothing beats the wealth of knowledge I gained.
All thanks to God who took me out of my comfort and pride and humbled me to help others who ask me how I did it and wonder how I can be fine when hardships come along while they go into panic mode.
During the times of these storms, it is important to humble ourselves to God and seek and ask.
Bring all your worries to Him and give gratitude as well. There are always others out there that have it even worse than us. Instead of panic, meditate on His word and pray. Use the Bible App and search by topic what you are going through and He will speak to you through it.
Did you know that God is with you all the time?
He just wants a relationship with you. When you pray don’t think you have to do it some fancy way, just speak to Him like you would your friend. As you continue to read, pray and meditate, you will start seeing the answers.
People will start asking you things as well. This is the beauty of sharing the Gospel through your testimony of how God brought you through the storm.
All God wants from us is a relationship and to glorify Him so that others can hear the good news about him and find joy in Him.
I really and truly believe that if we do not turn to Him and put all our faith in Him, we will live a life of depression and misery which can turn to covetousness.
Then we start getting angry and jealous with a negative attitude. Our friends or family won’t even want to talk to us because they can’t stand the things we say and how negative we are.
Start by using the Bible App and reading
Read some of the stories like Joseph; he went through so much hardship and look at what he got in the end.
Read Jesus’s teachings through His stories and parables.
Start meditating and praying for about fifteen minutes before you get up and give gratitude.
Start asking, ask God, ask people that you trust to help. Do some research and look for answers. Seek advice from someone who you trust and care about your well being.
Join a Bible-believing church. It is important to really find a Bible-believing church because the Bible is God’s word and nothing should be added or taken away. Be careful because some places like to add their thoughts and traditions in it and that is wrong. Be careful about what church you join check of a few of them.
Listen to preachers like John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Michael Youssef Chuck Swindoll
Eventually, as you get to know God’s word and develop a relationship with Him, find a mentor who can help you grow in Christ.
