When life gets tough, it can seem as though it will NEVER get better. Often times, we fill our minds with thoughts of "When will this end?", "Will it ever be the same as it used to be?", or even "Why is this happening to me?" The bad times seem to go on forever and ever, sometimes making us wish we could just give up and stop trying. The truth of the matter is that each and every one of us face challenging times. In fact, life is full of ups and downs. Most often, the good outweighs the bad, but at times, the bad can overcome our ability to function as usual.
In these times, we have a choice: We can either turn our backs on the Lord, or we can cast our troubles on Him and use our challenges to become a better Christian and servant of God. Below are three ways that we can each God-Up instead of Give-Up when life gets unbearable.
Make Quiet Time for the Lord
Setting time out of your day to praise and talk with God is impactful. With life's busy schedule, it is important to be intentional with how you are going to do this. As a college student, I make this happen by choosing to take the bus to class instead of drive most days so that I can spend those 15 minutes in my Bible app on my phone reading a devotional and getting my head right for the day. For others, it may look like waking up 30 minutes early to journal and read scripture, or even devoting the last minutes of your day to Him before laying down for bed. It looks different for everyone, but once you figure out what works best for you and become intentional in making sure you spend the time with Him, you will notice your actions beginning to tend towards a more Christian lifestyle and mindset.
Praising Him through Prayer and Worship
One of my biggest faults through my biggest struggles has been begging God to make things better or continuously asking him why I'm going through this. My prayers have been full of "God, please make this change." and "God, why is this happening to me?" Recently, I have made a deliberate effort to alter my prayers from focusing on the negative to praising God for the work he is doing. Now, my prayers look more like "God, thank you for the work you did within me today," "God, thank you for allowing me to make progress today and guiding me through that", and even "God, I praise you for the way you directed me to handle that situation today." The power of praising him through prayer will spark a transition from a negative mindset to one that is focused on the growth He is bringing to you.
Another way I praise God is through worship. There is no feeling like blasting worship songs as you walk down the sidewalk. The power of knowing God is with you throughout the day helps to be a continuous reminder that He is greater than anything you are facing.
Shameless Plug: Check out this Spotify playlist "The Best Worship Songs Ever" - https://open.spotify.com/album/2Y61H3fKbgEOZE4bGIsd5K?si=lSLtcw8XS-CYyRCQVd__Lw
Surround Yourself with Servants of God
This one can often be the biggest challenge. Often times, we don't like to open up about what we're facing or what we're struggling with. However, the power of surrounding yourself with people who want to pray for you is amazing. Knowing you have a tribe of church family, friends, and supporters who are praying for your struggles, and opening up about them and the quest and thirst for God is life-changing. It frees you. It gives you a strong foundation of people to call on on the worst days. Just the same, you should make it intentional to pray for these servants as well. We are all facing our own personal battles, and knowing that we can all relate and get closer to Jesus during these tough times can make the world of difference.
Try a bible study or a break out group at church. Grab coffee with a church mentor. Ask to be prayed over. Share bible verses with friends daily. However you wish to serve God, grab your friends and make intentions to create a tribe of God-followers and servants who will remind you of His will daily.
Of course, attending church every Sunday is a great way to create a foundation as a Christian. However, when we intentionally serve God daily and praise Him for the glory and work He is doing in our lives through these three actions, our struggles will soon be overcome by the power of His name.
