Three Keys to Surviving Difficult Times

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:11-12 How do you maintain the proper perspective when life is getting you down? When the storms of life are raging all around you and it seems like things are going progressively from bad to worse? When your dreams have all evaporated? There are three keys to survival. The first key: Be joyful in hope. Hope is the strong expectation of God’s deliberate action. It’s not wishing; it’s confident believing. And with that confidence, our hearts are lifted as we anticipate God’s divine work to accomplish His will in our lives. It has been said, “Most people who fail to accomplish their dreams fail not from ability but from a lack of commitment and belief.” The second key is patience in affliction. Difficulties are a part of life. We are fallen people living in a fallen world. Beyond that, God “prunes” fruitful believers so that we will bear even more fruit. Pruning hurts! When we experience problems, our natural reaction is to try to get out of them as quickly as possible, but that is not how God wants us to respond. Whether He takes us out of them or through them, God wants us to look to Him for wisdom and strength during difficulty so that our faith grows stronger. Unfulfilled expectations, unforeseen difficulties, and waiting for God’s answers can make us want to give up, but the third key is to continue praying with resolve. In difficult times, our prayers deepen and take on a new sense of urgency and earnestness. And if it gets worse, if the delay continues, we should stop asking and start listening, which may be the lesson God wanted to teach us all along. Which of these keys do you need to focus on right now? Which is a strength in your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com