No matter how much we may try otherwise, there will always be situations and circumstances that we cannot control. There are hard times that we won’t be able to avoid and even hopeless situations that can corner us to anxiety. And no matter how many prayers we say, staying positive during hard times seems so impossible. While it seems unthinkable to stay positive, we can certainly choose to be. Why? Because we have so much to hope for.
Hard Times Are Well…Hard
In a perfect world, none of us would have trouble. There would be no cheating, injustice, stealing, hurting, or suffering of any kind. We would not have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Our loved ones won’t ever make decisions that betray our trust. And no good human would have to suffer the pain of an illness. But we know the reality of this fallen world. But that never meant that we are to give up and accept the world as it is. The Bible gives us so many reasons for our hope.
Stay Positive Because We Are Growing
The last thing that anyone wants to hear when they’re going through a hard time is that there’s a reason for everything. While this general statement can sound so uncaring and indifferent while we’re the ones going through the hard times, we find this to be the case when we’ve come out on the other side. Growing pains hurt. We learn this from teething babies. We feel this in the gym when we’re trying to grow muscle. Even trees have to go through pruning and shaping to thrive. Without a challenge, we cannot grow to who God calls us to be.
God does allow certain experiences to shape us. He can even use our suffering for good. Hard times prepare us for what is to come. It strengthens us and gives us the confidence to face bigger obstacles. We can choose to stay positive because hard times are only lessons. They don’t last forever, they will pass and by God’s grace, we will outgrow them. Even better? We have a promise that all things will work for good.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Stay Positive Because We Are Overcomers
Before He ascended to heaven, Jesus told His disciples that they will have trouble in this world. Our Lord knows the consequences of what sin brings. Jesus became one of us and lived among us. He knows the everyday struggles and hardships that we face. But He did not leave us without leaving us hope. A hope that we can hold on to choose to stay positive.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 (NIV)
I have read this verse many times without soaking in its meaning. So I looked up what does it mean to take heart? The Merriam-Webster definition says to take heart means to gain courage or confidence. Another definition is to begin to feel better and more hopeful. And what does to overcome mean? The same dictionary says to get the better of. How can we find hope and stay positive even when we have trouble in this world?
Because Jesus Himself told us to have courage, to feel better. Why? Because He got the better of it. He has superiority over what this world can throw at us. We are His. And we can feel confident in Jesus’s ability that whatever the world may throw at us, it is not too much for Him. He is on our side, therefore it is not too much for us. What we’re going through does not surprise God and He is not perplexed by how to get us through it. He already told us what to do: to have courage and confidence and to feel better and more hopeful. We need to make that choice to be in obedience.
Stay Positive Because Hard Times Makes Us More Usable For The Kingdom
When we become Christ-followers, something happens in our hearts. We no longer desire to live for ourselves or for our own benefit. And one of the ways we became less selfish is by having the desire to be used by God. While many of us may not be called to be a preacher, a teacher, or a traveling evangelist, we can be used by God to minister to those around us. As an introvert, this used to give me anxiety because I thought I would have to do some form of public speaking. But to minister to others doesn’t necessarily mean preaching to them.
Hard times humanizes us so that we can be sympathetic to others when we see them suffering. We can minister to those hurting and struggling simply by showing them the love of Christ. It could be listening to them, helping them in some ways, and simply being good to them. The world may not see Christ with their eyes but they see us. We cannot relate to the hurting world when we never have gone through hard times ourselves. There is a purpose in every season that God allows us to go through. While it may not be very fun, God is too good to withhold the conditioning, strengthening, and discovering that hard times offer us.
Let Us Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for that no matter my circumstances, You are good. I know you see my hurt and struggles. I know you have heard my prayers and seen my tears. I want to redeclare my faith in You that you work all things for good. Continue to strengthen me and encourage me to stay positive. Help me to learn all the lessons I need to so that I can be more usable by You. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
Recommendation
Knowing God starts with knowing His Word. If you don’t already own a Bible, there are many churches that give one for free. You can also download a YouVersion Bible App. Or if you’d like a physical copy, it can easily be found on amazon.