When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
When we go through life’s trials, and we will, we must believe that our Heavenly Father is with us. Some of us are going through right now. I can relate! This is enough to help us grow in the area of compassion towards one another as many of us will share or have shared similar experiences. The range of emotions that we will experience or are experiencing can cloud our view so I wanted to remind all of us that we aren’t defenseless. God is on our side and he is fighting for us (Exodus 14:14). He has also given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate (John 14:26).
We also have resources but we must be intentional and consistent in utilizing them:
Tool #1: Scripture, Prayer, and Praise
While there are many things in life that we can’t control, we CAN take control of our environment in our home, in our car, or wherever we can steal away. Submerge yourself in the scriptures and cover yourself and your loved ones through prayer and praise.
Tool #2: Community
Reach out! Open up to your circle because they will hold you up in prayer, check in, encourage you, and even hold you accountable when you need them to. Your trusted circle will not think twice about extending their hand but you must let down your guard and ask for the help.
Tool #3: Rest
Sometimes we have the tendency to push the gas even harder when we are going through because we may want a distraction OR we may be in denial. Both are normal responses. Evaluate your need to take on extra responsibilities and determine where you can pull back to take care of yourself from a physical and emotional standpoint.
Tool #4: Healthcare Professionals
When we are going through we may overlook symptoms that we are experiencing that are related to the stress from our current set of challenges. Don’t brush those symptoms under the rug, specifically those that are taking place with high frequency. God created highly qualified healthcare professionals to help us address these concerns so release yourself from any shame you may be feeling around reaching out for help.
Tool #5: Hope
Above all else we must remain hopeful (Romans 15:13). I placed this last because this is the where we may struggle the most. When we are going through it can be extremely tough to "keep our hopes up" but we must. After all, we are going THROUGH which means we will come OUT. Our faith must rise to the level of our expectation and this is a daily intention.
Comments