Let’s face it, life is hard! Sometimes horrible things happen to us and somehow we get caught completely off guard. No one ever wants to say it out loud but we feel bad for others when bad things happen to them while secretly hoping it never happens to us! Most of us don’t plan for bad things to happen, we don’t want to because we don’t want to think about it. No matter how much we plan and strive to avoid those things we’re afraid of the reality is, they’re still going to happen. We get sick, lose jobs and friends, we struggle financially, we get “those” calls and sometimes we get a terrifying diagnosis. So, I’m going to share with you five things I think you should remember when life gets hard.

What to Do!

What can you do when life gets hard? What do you do when you feel like God isn’t listening?? What should you do when you feel like you’re being singled out? Or like your trial will never end? How will you endure when you don’t have an ounce of strength to continue on? What do you do when you can’t stop focusing on your circumstances? What do you do when you’ve lost your hope that anything will ever change?

How do you respond when these hard things happen in your life? Do you give yourself the freedom to cry, to be angry and feel the emotions? Do you stay there or do you allow God to work in your life and give you strength?

Let’s talk about a few things that can help, because, our perspective, it’s everything! The way we think is more than half the battle in how we cope. So, we need to remember these things.

1. Remember You Are Not The Only One

First, remember you are not the only one! I am not the only one! Everyone will at some point endure difficult and hard things. Some people talk about it and others don’t.

If you were to have a real discussion with those you encounter during the week I bet you would be surprised at the stories they have to tell and the difficulties they’ve endured.

So, when trouble strikes remember, what you do during that time, how you think, how you talk to yourself…. these things matter! Your choices will make all the difference in how you walk through your trial and how you come out on the other side. Do you want your difficulties to be used according to God’s purposes and for His glory?

[bctt tweet=”When we’re down in the muddy, dark, scary places and we need to be able to hear Him. This is when all the noise from the rest of the world should be pushed aside so the voice of God can be heard.” username=”aboundinginhope”]

God has so much for us! There’s so much that he wants to show us and do through us! When we’re down in the muddy, dark, scary places and we need to be able to hear Him. This is when all the noise from the rest of the world should be pushed aside so the voice of God can be heard.

2. Remember to Recount God’s Promises!

God will strengthen you, fill you with peace, hope, and love. He will provide for you and He will meet you right where you are! Worship Him and He will lift you up! Make a list of all His promises for you and memorize them or at least read through them often. 

“But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭3:3‬

3. Remember to Feast on His Word!

Spend time reading the bible. If you have trouble reading then listen to an audio bible. Find scriptures that give you comfort and have them out where you can see them and read them.

4. Remember to Practice Gratitude

Give thanks for what He is doing even though you don’t see it yet! Have faith and trust that He is doing a good work.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Gratitude has been proven to facilitate healing and promotes mood balance. If giving thanks doesn’t come naturally to you, you’ll have to work on it. Keep a gratitude journal. Look for things each day to be thankful for.

5. Remember to Worship Him!

Worship can be going to church but that’s not the only way to worship God. You can worship through prayer, reading scripture, being with other believers and through music. God is worthy of our worship regardless of how difficult our lives are.

God is Always Good

No matter what you’re going through and regardless of the outcome, God is and always will be a good God. His character has nothing to do with our circumstances. Our circumstances have everything to do with the fallen, sinful world we live in. Because of sin, we suffer, we get sick and we die.

Thank God for Jesus who takes that suffering and redeems it! When we belong to him, he never lets our suffering go to waste. We don’t have to fear death because eternity is our future. Isn’t that wonderful?

So, how are you going to get through your hard times? Will you trust Him with your pain and suffering? It’s so worth it!