How to overcome a tough time
Christians don’t get a pass on suffering, in fact, Jesus says it’s a promise. Today, Haley and Noel boast about Jesus’s strength in and through our sufferings, and how God showed up for them even in the fire. With worship and The Word as a weapon, they motivate listeners to armor up with the full armor of God, praise through the pain, and give yourself grace as you heal.
What we dive into in this episode:
- Biblical truth about tough times
- Why God allows suffering
- Embracing our faith in the struggle
- Rebuking the enemy
- Worshiping in the valley
- Surrounding yourself with your people
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What is Adversity?
Adversity and suffering can be anything that’s unpleasant in your life or blocking your future. Maybe you’re struggling with depression, addiction, or grief. Perhaps you’re dealing with a physical illness or pain. Or maybe you aren’t where you want to be in your life and you feel stuck.
Whatever hard time you’re going through, you should know that Jesus not only sees and hears you, but He is concerned for you and wants to help.
So, What Does the Bible Say About Hard Times?
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1-3
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
When we read verses about suffering in the Bible, sometimes we forget that God doesn’t negate Christians from suffering. What He does promise is that He will be with you in the fire.
Often, instead of embracing faith during trying times, we tend to give in to worry and doubt. We’ve all been there and wallowed in our hard times.
Even Noel opened up about last year about how much of a struggle it was for her. She said she found herself saying “Umm excuse me, God, why am I going through this?” She talks openly about the bitterness and resentment that began to well up inside of her. When she had melanoma, she remembered sobbing in the bathroom. When her husband, Drew, walked in, he was taken aback that she was so upset. Noel opened up to him crying “Why me? Of all people? Why me?” His response? “Why not you? You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
When we face tough times, it can be easy to be angry with God, ask why, and wallow in self-pity. Although these aren’t irrational or wrong responses, they just aren’t helpful. What is helpful is to really lean into our faith and embrace the Jesus who sees, who heals, who saves.
During depressing times in Haley’s life, she was too embarrassed to let her friends, family, and church know because she felt like she should have it all together. It can be hard to show that you’re having a tough time when you’re a devout Christian because sometimes there’s a shame about not having enough faith or not being a “good” Christian. Her pastor inspired her by being vulnerable about his tough times. His vulnerability freed her to see that she wasn’t alone and that other Christians struggled too.
We want to remind you that God’s power can really step in when we boast about our weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12: 8 – 10 says that his strength is made perfect in our weakness. It’s those moments where you’re depressed, ill, and feel like you’ll never make it – the moments where you’re struggling financially or with your mental health – that’s when God’s strength is made perfect. A part we often ignore in that verse is that we should boast all the more in our weaknesses because it shows off the glory of God.
If we are able to boast in our weaknesses and share how God came through for us, others will want that too! Isn’t that the whole point of being in a community? To share your joys and burdens so that we can all encourage one another to keep the faith? So don’t be afraid to boast in your struggle. Chances are, your neighbors are struggling with the same thing.
Why Should We Embrace Faith Through Tough Times?
In the moments where we have the most faith, it’s mostly because that’s all we have. Sometimes, God allows these situations where we solely rely on Him, because it bolsters our faith. And at the end of the day, faith is all we have in this life. It’s the only thing that we can truly hold on to and grasp.
Most seasoned Christians understand that when you’re doing really well in your Christian walk, when you’re reading, praying, and spending time with God, that’s when the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities. It’s a constant war, an unseen struggle with the spirit realm.
Sometimes, on the outside looking in, you can think that once you get saved, nothing ever goes wrong for you anymore. This idea is just simply not true. That’s not what being saved or being a Christian is about.
The fact of the matter is, that we are all going to go through hard times. The difference is that we make it through the fire, and come out unharmed, but we still have to go through the fire.
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
Some people believe God puts us in situations where we suffer, but others believe that only good comes from God. Whatever you believe, I think we can all agree that when we’re solely dependent on Him, that is where real faith comes into play. But maybe we’re asking the wrong question. Maybe the real question is does suffering produce anything good?
Romans 5: 3-5 says “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Romans tells us that suffering produces perseverance, ultimately leading us to hope! So suffering, through a wild turn of events and processes, actually produces hope!
Listen, we get it. We all want to have a life free from suffering. But if we miss out on suffering, we miss out on valuable fruits in our lives.
How to Overcome Adversity and Suffering
We want to give you practical advice, but a lot of this advice leans on faith and making time for God. Christians can learn valuable things from trials because they serve as catalysts for spiritual growth. Understand that God will put you in situations where you’re solely dependent on Him. This is truly how your faith deepens and matures.
Stay in the Word
The Bible isn’t something we just pick up when times are tough. It’s a weapon. We know sometimes it can be difficult to set aside time in your day, but isn’t it harder when worry sneaks up on you late at night? Or when you can’t stop crying at the end of the day in your shower?
The Bible is a weapon, designed to speak truth into your life. It’s a double-edged sword, and like a scalpel in surgery, it can cleanly cut off the things in your life that cause you pain. We believe that The Bible is the living breathing word of God, and it will speak into your life.
If you struggle to understand The Bible, we encourage you to buy a devotional, join a small group, or explore other Bible translations. We do want to caution you about letting any of this take the place of reading the Bible for yourself. When we rely on others to tell us what The Bible says we can easily be manipulated into believing things that aren’t true.
It’s important that you dig into the word for yourself – God wants to speak to you.
Gratitude
Sometimes it can be difficult to thank God when you’re struggling. How can I thank God for depression? But we promise that gratitude is the best way to free yourself from your situation. If you can’t think of anything to thank God for, then thank Him for who He is and how powerful He is.
Psalm 34:1 says I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” It doesn’t say I will bless Him in just the positive times. During your tough time – praise and your worship is another weapon. The start of worship is thanking him. Scripture says in Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him and bless his name.”
It’s so simple. Thank Him for the shirt on your back, the gas in your car, the breath in your lungs. Thank Him that you’re seeing another day, for giving you another chance.
What is Worship All About Anyway?
The second part of Psalm 100:4 is entering into his courts with praise. This is how we can begin our worship, even in difficult times – by praising Him for who He is, what He’s done – and if you’re in a struggle – what He’s about to do.
There’s a phrase in the church “Praise Him on credit.” Maybe He hasn’t healed you, or given you financial freedom. Maybe, He’s seemingly failed you at every turn. But if you’re still breathing, then He’s not finished yet. Praise Him for what He’s about to do, and watch your life shift. There’s something about surrendering to the process of it all that frees you, and that’s truly what praise is. It’s your body, mind, and soul coming into agreement with the Creator of the universe and saying “God, I may not know what you’re doing, and I may never know what you’re doing, but I will say that you’re good. I will praise you for who you are!”
That’s why you see people raising their hands during worship, it’s simply an act of surrender. The true beauty of praise is, that you can praise anywhere. If you’re too afraid to raise your hands or press into the Holy Spirit during church where people can see you, then do it at home first! Do it when no one is around. You can have the most intense worship session in your kitchen or drive down the road (just keep your eyes open).
Worship doesn’t even have to be singing. You can worship by praising God on your front porch as you admire His beautiful creation while you drink your cup of coffee. Don’t overcomplicate this. Just stand in wonder and awe at the Lord who moved heaven and earth to make sure you lived and had the opportunity to live eternally.
Share Your Burdens
We are not meant to go through hard times alone. Reach out. If you don’t have a great support system, find a church. Go to your pastor and tell him you need a mentor to walk alongside you during this hard time. We promise, there are people in place to help you with just that type of thing.
We know the enemy’s telling you that there’s no one who cares, no one who can help, but it’s a LIE! There are so many people who would love to come alongside you and speak life into this situation you’re facing – no matter what it is.
Prioritize Self Care
If you’re going through a tough time it’s easy to skip normal things that make you happy. Maybe it’s going to the beach, reading a book, talking with friends, or taking a walk. Whatever it is – do it, even if you don’t feel like doing it at the moment. We know that you don’t want to, but after you do you’ll feel so much better. Don’t isolate yourself.
Maybe you’re on the other side of this and working yourself to the bone in order to distract yourself. We recommend reading Holy Hustle. Crystal Stine writes about how rest and self-care is holy. If you’re one of those people who base their worth on what you can accomplish, remind yourself that taking care of yourself is not only holy and essential, it’s one of God’s commands.
Accept and Rebuke
Hard times are a part of this life. None of us are exempt from temptations, pain, and ultimately death. And yet, because of Jesus’ work on the cross, we get to share in His power over those tough times. The enemy will send different spirits to distract you, keep you down, depressed, and off course. But because of the work done on the cross, we have power in the name of Jesus.
Noel gave us an example of rebuking a spirit in her own life. Last year, she and her family had a season of sickness. Noel prayed for God to heal her and her family. As soon as she laid down for bed, God told her to get up and pray over the doors in her home. At first, she protested because of how physically exhausted she was, but the longer she waited, the harder the Lord pressed her to do it. Finally, she got up and started to pray over the doors of her home.
That was God reminding her of the power she has in her own home. She has the power to anoint her home, to pray over the sickness, to tell the sickness to get out, and the enemy to get out. Sometimes we all need that reminder that there’s power in the name of Jesus. As wives, moms, and women, we have the power to anoint our homes and families too. You can do this in your home too!
What is the Armor of God?
You can equip yourself to do exactly what Noel did and declare your authority over these situations you find yourself in. In Ephesians 6: 13 – 17, we can find a clear picture of the full armor of God:
Belt of truth: Protects the wearer from lies
Breastplate of righteousness: protects the heart from Satan’s accusations
Shoes of the gospel of peace: feet at the ready to spread the Gospel of peace
Shield of faith: extinguishes the flaming arrows of evil
Helmet of salvation: protects the head, which is the seat of the mind
Sword of the SpiritL The word of God, which allows the wearer to take the offense
The armor of God is a beautiful picture of the tools God gives us to fight the battle in the spiritual realm. The truth of the matter is, we are at war, whether we can see it or not. We need to be prepared with the full armor of God so that we don’t keep getting hit by the enemy.
Be kind to yourself, and give yourself grace.
You’re not alone in this. Everyone struggles. It may feel like you’re failing during this tough time, but this too shall pass. Give yourself grace and extra kindness, because God is more merciful, more kind, more forgiving than anyone you know.
In Psalm 91:14-15, God is speaking directly to his people saying “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.”
Even when it doesn’t feel like it, God is there for you. Right now, in this very moment, the creator of the universe cares for you.
And we do too, Revivers.
FAQs for My Girlies Who Skim
How will I make it through this?
Read your Bible. Praise & Worship. Share your burdens. Prioritize caring for YOU. Put on the full armor of God. Be kind to yourself. In short, lean more into your faith, because at the end of this trial, you’ll have so much fruit.
Why does God allow suffering?
Everyone’s fought about this for years, we think maybe we’re asking the wrong question. The real question should be what does suffering produce in us? Romans tells us that suffering produces perseverance, eventually leading to hope. Your suffering can produce good things. Just like when exercising is unpleasant, but trains your body to be healthy, suffering trains our body to produce hope.
Why am I suffering if I’m a Christian?
Every human has suffered at some point in their lives. We, as Christians, are no exception to this rule. Even in the Bible, every single person experiences hardship and suffering, no exemptions or passes. So why does being a Christian matter? Because as a Christian, you’re not walking through suffering alone, and God uses the suffering to produce something in your life whether that’s hope, faith, perseverance, or another fruit. No pain is wasted.
