3 Things to Do When Troubled Times Hit Hard
One day I was teaching in a discipleship school. I got an emergency phone call. The country we were working in was not friendly towards Christians. The police had come and arrested many of my friends. My family and I were under threat. Trouble had hit us hard.
I felt like my world had flipped upside down.
The words of Jesus ”when they persecute you in one town flee to another” echoed in my heart. As we packed up and scattered, I wondered what the future would hold.
Maybe you feel the same way. When you look to the future it is dark and unknown.
What can we do in troubled times like these?
1. Cling to God
I remind myself of who He is and that He is with me. Everything else will shake, but He remains secure.
“I cling to you; your strong right-hand holds me securely.”
Ps 63:8
Listen to His word or promise for that situation. Pray it out until it becomes a reality.
Earlier this year I heard a very serious diagnosis from the doctor. Immediately a scripture came straight to my mind. “I will not die but live and declare the works of the Lord”. Ps 118:17. I prayed that scripture over myself. I also shared it with others asking them to pray for me too, until the situation resolved.
Pour out your heart to God. Pouring out the fear, pain, grief, and confusion into His listening ear can help to remove the stress from our souls. Then pause to listen to His words of comfort and assurance. This brings healing. “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.” Lam 2:19
2. Look for God’s way forward.
As a child, I read the autobiography of Maria Von Trapp whose story inspired the movie “The Sound of Music”. Her family had to flee from the Nazis in the Second World War. When she went to ask for counsel for what to do, she was told “When God shuts the door He opens a window.” God will not abandon us. Look to Him for His creative solutions.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Cor 10:13.
3. Rise and shine.
Everyone can have the appearance of hope and joy when life is easy. It is in times of great testing that the reality of Jesus and our hope in Him can shine out brightly for all to see. This is a time of witness.
Another book I also read as a teenager is called “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.” It is a book full of short testimonies about martyred Christians from history. The light shining out of their lives and love for God still burns bright today, centuries later.
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Cor 15:57
As disciple makers and missionaries, we must learn and teach that suffering is part of the walk of every Christian. In fact, persecution and trouble are to be expected. Jesus tells us: “In this world, you shall have trouble.” But then he follows it up with a statement that we should be living out today, no matter what we face: “But take heart, I have overcome the world”. Jn 16:33.
What stood out to you in the article above? Share in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook Group.
*this is a guest post by RM.