Overcoming Negative Circumstances

"Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.  Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.  Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you." -Ps 143:7 & 8

Sometimes life is hard.  When we go through difficult seasons, we may question God's presence, His goodness, His love for us, or the dreams He placed within us.  "Why on earth would this happen to me, God, if You are loving and just!?" we may ask.

However, this is exactly the posture the enemy wants us to have.  Whenever bad things happen, as they did to Job, the enemy wants to get in the middle and tell us God doesn't love us, He doesn't care about us, and He doesn't have a plan for our lives. He wants us to turn against our God.  These statements are a complete and total lie!

But, how do we get to the truth, when all our circumstances point to the negative?  It may be that we have never known anything besides the negativity that surrounds us. 

First, we need to get in the word, to read what God says about us and our situation.  We need to pray, even if we don't feel like it.  We need to worship, to praise God in spite of whatever is going on - in His word it says that praise is the antidote for heaviness.  (Is 6:13) We need to get around encouraging people.  And most of all we need to believe - to have faith that in spite of any difficulty, our God is still victorious.  We have to realize that we live in a fallen world, and that God does not want us to go through negative things, but He will use them for our good. (Romans 8:28)

Are you going through something negative right now?  Stay in faith, let God be your hope, and even if things don't change immediately stay in faith that God will do what He promised. The answer may not come at the time we expect, but it doesn't change the fact that God loves us, and sent His son to die for us, so that we could live in heaven, eternally with Him.

The Resiliency Factor

 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." -Rev 2:17
 
There is a lot of doubt and discouragement in our fallen world. Many bad things happen to innocent people, and many unfair things happen to good people. However, this doesn't give us an excuse to give up fighting the good fight. As Christians, Jesus gives us a special edge - the resiliency factor.

The resiliency factor, or being an overcomer, has to do with being flexible and bendable, but not breakable. This is because we have learned, through the power of Jesus, that we CAN overcome, and not break when circumstances test us. The tree with no roots falls right over. But the grounded tree with roots that sink deep into the ground merely bends when the storms of life come its way. This tree has gone deep into the ground to find water & nourishment. This tree is resilient.

The Bible places a lot of emphasis on overcoming in our lives. We know we can't overcome alone - it is the power of the cross and the Holy Spirit's work in our lives that helps us to overcome. Also, the support of friends and family is very important in helping us get past the obstacles in front of us. But resiliency in the kingdom has special merit to it - not everyone who decides to believe Jesus is the son of God is an overcomer. There is something that separates the doubter from the overcomer, the one who has the resiliency factor. It takes an unwavering perspective that anything, yes, anything, is possible to those who believe, coupled with a strong faith in God. Strong faith says, "There is nothing bigger than my God. My God is bigger than all the giants in my life," in spite of how big our giants may seem.

Have you activated the resiliency factor in your life? I pray that each of us may gain a resiliency in God that helps us overcome any negative thing that comes our way, so that we might in turn become overcomers in the kingdom of God.

Being Aware of Resistance

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."  -1 Peter 5:8

Have you ever started something you know God had called you to only to be met with extreme resistance?   "Why is this happening to me?" we might ask.  "God, all I'm trying to do is serve you!"

What we fail to realize is that we have an enemy that is "hell bent" on deterring us from our mission.

Things will happen in life.  Demands will continue to be placed on us, problems and issues will arise, and what we have to do will continually try to dissuade us what we feel called to do. 

So how can we push through?

Being aware of our enemy is the first step.  Expecting resistance will better prepare us for that resistance, and developing a plan to tackle that resistance will also help us in defeating it. Reading the word, prayer, worship, and speaking life and truth over situations that we’re going through are tools that can help us overcome.  I know a businesswoman who is continually listening to good preaching (even while she sleeps!) to re-program her brain to overcome.  We also need to be aware of resistance in our personal lives, and manage our time & emotions well (i.e., fatigue, PMS {ladies}, loneliness).

Are you aware of the resistance in your life? Pray today and ask for the Holy Spirit's help in defeating that resistance.  The Holy Spirit is our helper while we are living out our calling on this earth.  (John 14:26)