Beginning To Cope ...

"The difficulties of life are intended to make us better not bitter." - Unknown

Don’t you just love words of encouragement from, “author unknown”? Such pithy statements so easily flow from the tongue when things are going well. But when the difficulties of life are experienced I’d like to find, “author unknown” to wring his or her neck!

Sickness, loss, fear and anxiety do not automatically make us better. However, the harm that evolves from a heart unable or unwilling to squarely face the challenges of life will ultimately become more devastating than the external battle originally faced. We unwittingly forfeit God’s ability to give our life new meaning when we allow our inner opposing forces to take control.

Consider a few opposing forces:

Pride
Shame
Depression
Fear

others will not believe us;
others might avoid us;
our challenge might jeopardize our future;
we might be treated like we’ve treated others;
we are alone - no one can understand;
we want to be alone - not a burden to others.

For some the list is longer. Left unchecked, each of these internal burdens contributes to the multiplied despair of the suffering individual. Focus upon the primary battle is lost and little remains of the resources to fight the primary fight. Christians, we are often quick to proclaim we are placing the battle in God’s hands but we fail to release to His authority and care the internal burdens. We then fail to experience the reality of His presence and His care because we've failed to cast the totality of our fears, shame, depression and pride at His feet. How can we experience the peace that passes all understanding if we are unable or unwilling to release to God's authority the internal burdens rising within us? God wants it all!

Have you given it all to God?

"Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22

When preaching on this verse the great evangelist, Charles Haddon Spurgeon said:

"He [the suffering child of God] may move like the boughs of a tree in the tempest, but he shall never be moved like a tree torn up by the roots. He stands firm who stands in God. Many would destroy the saints, but God has not suffered it, and never will. Like pillars, the godly stand immoveable, to the glory of the Great Architect."

“Casting ALL your care upon Him because He cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:7

All means all and that’s all all means! When we release ourselves of the “us” issue and those inner opposing forces, we can see and experience God’s miraculous love at work. While we may be faced with external battles what a blessing it is to begin to feel His love healing the internal!

Although you may have little power over the battles you are facing, God has power. God has the power to heal the very soul of the individual in need.

Today, how about a little self examination? What is the battle? What are the resources? Are you yielding to internal opposing forces or giving those forces over to God and yielding to Him?

Therefore, cast all your care upon Him, because he truly cares for YOU! It's a first step in coping with life's struggles.

God bless