How to Survive a Difficult Season in your Life
What Difficult Season Are You Enduring?
I am no stranger to enduring a difficult season in my life, as I’m sure you aren’t either. As humans, we all experience hardships and trials that can linger longer than we may like.
For my husband and I, our difficult season currently looks like a 3 year perseverance for a career firefighting job, with dozens of “no’s” after much preparation, testing, financial spending towards tests, and interviews.
For you, it might look like a season of singleness, infertility, a long enduring job hunt, a house hunt, or something else that requires great patience, perseverance, and trust in the Lord.
First, I want to commend you for having your heart in the right place. Instead of allowing yourself to be overcome with frustration and bitterness, you are looking for advice on how to handle this difficult season with grace and faith.
God’s word tells us in John 16:33 that “In me {God} you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Specifically, this may more apply to tribulations regarding our faith and defending our faith. However, I’m a firm believer that difficult seasons in life regarding unanswered prayer can be a huge testing of our faith. We have to defend our faith in God that He will take care of us in His best way and provide for us despite the fact that we can’t see the future or His plans. We have to trust that He is GOOD and keeps no good thing from His children.
The Truth About a Difficult Season Is This…
The world will have struggles, pain, and hurt. But while we are here on Earth, we can put our hope and faith in Jesus because we know the difficult season(s) won’t last. They will for a time, but in the end everything will be perfect when we get to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Difficult seasons are for a time. God and our faith in Him is for eternity.
You Must Do This to Survive a Difficult Season
Friends, I encourage you to seek the Lord unlike you ever have before. As we received two more “no’s” last week for two fire departments Luke was testing and interviewing for, my heart was grieved. I don’t usually use language like that, but it describes how I felt so accurately. I couldn’t help but grieve over what felt like another loss, after many losses.
But in my grieving, I poured my heart out to the Lord. And I felt His gentle reminder that I need to trust Him in all circumstances, especially those unseen. I opened my arms wide toward my Heavenly Father and I told him I am His vessel for His work to be done in my life and in my husband’s life. His will be done.
When my heart is fixed on His will, not my own, I can trust the process and His plan. It’s still difficult. It’s still painful. It hasn’t gotten easier if I’m being honest. But He is my strength when I am weak. He gives me the hope that I need. He reminds me that even if things don’t work out according to my plan, His plan is better. And it doesn’t always have to make sense. He reminds me of all I have to be thankful for and how blessed we already are. I know that even if Luke never gets a firefighting job, the Lord will take care of us.
I encourage you to speak to the Lord with vulnerability. He wants to take your burdens from you and carry them for you. He will give you peace, encourage you, and give the strength you need to persevere. He cares for you. God loves you more than you can understand.
Scriptures for Peace
Sometimes our hearts just need to be reminded of who our God is and what He does for us. Be encouraged and filled with peace from these scriptures:
Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for you.”
Psalm 29:11 “The Lord gives strength to His people; The Lord blesses His people with peace.”
Hebrews 11:11 “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise.”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The Key to Surviving a Difficult Season
Friends, the key to surviving a difficult season in life is this:
Trust – Trust that the Lord is good and He knows what He’s doing, even when we cannot see or understand.
Hope – We can have joy because our time here on earth is but a blink of an eye in comparison to eternity spent with Jesus. Remember that your suffering is only for a short while.
Pray – Bring your burdens to the Lord and ask Him for peace and strength. He will give you what you need to carry on. He will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. He will give you strength when you are weak. God is a good, faithful, loving God.
God Bless You
All my dear friends who are also in a difficult waiting season. I can relate with you, grieve with you, hope for you, and pray for you. You are on my heart and know that I’m lifting up in prayer anybody who reads this blog post. May the Lord give you peace and whatever you need to carry on. He loves you.
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