The past few weeks and months have been challenging for me. I’ve been hurt by inconsiderate and ignorant comments. I’ve been overwhelmed with responsibilities and assignments. I’ve been concerned with the unknown in my life. I’m at a point where I feel exhausted and defeated. There’s probably been a point in your life where you’ve felt like you’ve reached rock bottom. Maybe you’ve been drowning in sorrows, or you have wounds that run deep. There is a time for mourning and lamenting (which I wrote about here), but it is not okay to stay in that place. There comes a time where we must move on and allow our struggles to shape us, but not define us.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
It is so hard to be joyful when you feel like you are in the middle of one of life’s storms. I am struggling to be joyful right now, but I am hopeful that God is going to use these trials to strengthen my faith and my character. My prayer is that these challenges will form me into someone that God can use to further His Kingdom. My hope is that He will allow something positive to come out of the pain and suffering that I am enduring now.
I have already seen little ways that God is using me. He is allowing the circumstances I am in to help me advocate for others. I am choosing to embrace these opportunities and allow God to utilize me. I do not have much control over the things that are said to me, the challenges that pop up, or the many unknown factors present in my life. What I do have control over is the way I respond to my circumstances. It’s okay for me to mourn, weep, and be silent. The Bible also says that there are times where I need to heal, mend, and speak out (Ecclesiastes 3). When I choose to move out of a place of sorrow and into a place of joy, despite challenges in my life, I am surrendering to God and trusting Him to make everything right.
If you are currently going through a difficult period, know that you aren’t alone. God wants to walk alongside you and help you to choose joy. He wants to use you to make a difference. He wants you to help others who are going through circumstances similar to you. Most importantly, He wants to help you to control what you can: your words, your actions, and your responses. Choose to be a light while on this earth. Make choices that allow you to grow in your faith, rather than stay in a pit. Choose to be the clay in God’s hands, allowing Him to mold you (Isaiah 64:8), while looking forward to the hope of eternity in Heaven.
