Think you can't bear one more thing?
Everyone I have ever met gets feeling of hopelessness, discouragement or even despair at sometime during life…maybe many times.
Bills pile up. Work gets stressful. Friends betray us. Divorce, hostility, and unforgiveness split our families up. Traffic is bumper to bumper. Lines at the checkout are interminably slow. The washing machine breaks down. We are overweight. Tires go flat. Someone cuts us off in traffic. The list of things that can steal our peace could go on and on …and it will throughout our lives. That, you can depend on.
If we are believers in the Good News, there is no reason to give in to feelings of hopelessness when we are faced with adversity. We don’t have to wring our hands and say, “I just can’t take it anymore.” Instead if we are rooted in the wisdom of Scripture we will say with conviction, “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.”
We can handle problems, horrible situations, and any kind of misfortune. Nothing that comes our way needs to make us quake in fear. God is equal to any and all calamities. No matter how deep the pit that we find ourselves in, God’s arm is long enough and strong enough to lift us out of it. We just have to choose to reach out to grasp His loving hand in faith.
Scripture tells us in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.”
Believe in His word. God is completely trustworthy. We can all be a giant killers like David if you rely on God’s help, His Will and His principles. He will always provide a way out. He will give us all the provisions we need to follow His plan for life. It is when we step out of that plan that troubles will come. God does not create nasty situations…people do…we do.
Without the strength of the Lord in our lives, we will be able to cope for a while…but sooner or later… our strength, courage and peace will give out. Then we will lose it. We will start to curse, flame, rage and abuse others and ourselves. We may try to drown our sorrows in booze, drugs, sleep, food or other self-defeating behaviors, but there will be more of the same tomorrow.
Take to heart what 1 Peter 5:10 says: “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Shake off those feelings of despondency. Be like the little donkey that had fallen in an old well. His owner looked down and thought it would be too much trouble to get him out so he started shoveling dirt down to bury him there. At first the donkey brayed loudly in misery. But the farmer kept shoveling. After a little while the donkey calmed down and was peaceful and quiet. Curious, the owner looked down and was amazed to see the donkey shake off each shovelful of dirt and then step on it. Still the owner continued to shove the dirt on him until the smart little donkey was raised high enough to step right up to the top of the well. The amazed owner saw his little creature trot off happily to graze in green pastures.
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In the power given to us in Christ, we can remain calm and peaceful in the face of any of life’s storms.