When trouble arrives, don’t cower in the corner feeling sorry for yourself. Stand tall and make it better. When a challenge arises, don’t make it into an excuse. March boldly into the heart of that challenge and find what you can turn to your advantage.
Refuse to be offended, insulted, dejected or drained when life fails to go your way. Smile and remind yourself that none of that will do you any good. Then, engage your ability to choose. Choose energy, choose determination, choose action, choose enthusiasm for making things better.
Being positive in the midst of trouble is not naive, not as long as you affix your positive attitude to positive action. Doing so is shrewd, and a common trait of those who are wildly successful. The negative circumstance is temporary, yet the way you respond will echo through your whole life. Find the opportunity in the trouble, act on it, turn it on its head and transform it into great value.
In the midst of your storm, when you are being beaten and crushed and you feel alone, look up! God is with you in your storm, for He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. When the world turns it back on you, do not be disheartened because God will always be with you and on your side!
Are you dependent or desperate for God? If you are desperate, you only look to God and run to Him in times of crisis, when He’s your last option. If you’re dependent on Him, you rely on Him for all things, in good times and in bad times. Be dependent on Him, and know that He will not allow the righteous to stumble! When you are ever in need of God, He won’t send a messenger with a well written letter for you. God shows up and solves your problem!
If you’re in a storm, trust God for the winds and the seas obey Him. if you’re in need, trust Him because He has promised that you shall not want. If you’re under attack, trust Him because He has given his angels charge over you. God is a burden breaker and a heart mender. He’ll do all of that for you if you’ll just trust in Him!
When Adam and Eve sinned and sin was passed on to all humankind. Jesus gave up His Heavenly Throne to come to Earth to bear witness to the truth and save the world from sin and its penalty. Jesus has said, He will take your sins if you will confess you need Him to do it. After God deals with us about our sins and we have the emotional feelings to change, we must repent and live our lives according to God's Word. Psalms 34:19; "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." The Lord delivers the righteous out of their affliction. When you become a Christian, you stand out from others and because you are different, you will be persecuted and reviled. Affliction is defined as suffering, pain, trouble, grief, torment, tribulation. When you choose to live for God, you will lose many friends and associates. But there is no need to fret or worry because God is always with you and He will deliver you from your emotional pressures. When David was anointed as king of Israel, the Philistines rose against him. When you live for God, you become a threat to the enemy.
1 Peter 2:21-25;
21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him to him that judgeth righteously:
24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." Christ was afflicted for us which left us an example to follow His steps. To be reviled means to be criticized, condemned, attacked and retaliate. Jesus was reviled but He didn't retaliate, or a better way to put it is, pay evil for evil. He bore our sins and suffered in our stead. He became the curse for us.(Gallatians 3:13). We must show the fruits of the Spirit even when we suffer.
Galatians 5: 16-18, 22-23;
16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
We are spirit beings. So we walk in the Spirit and manifest the fruits of the Spirit in our thoughts, words and deeds. You must not have feelings of malice, or any of the works of the flesh against anyone. (Gallatians 5:19-21). The fruits of the Spirit remain even through our suffering and revile. 2 Timothy 3:12; "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
