How Christians See Challenges
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Life is filled with challenges and we can avoid challenges due to fear or we can accept challenges with faith in Christ. Our job can be a challenge; teaching a class, going to school, working with difficult people, or our finances. In all challenges our attitudes greatly determine our success. If we are fearful and complaining, the challenge can become overwhelming and we might find ourselves seeking an escape. Without challenges how can we grow in strength and endurance?
In life we have serious challenges such as terminal illness, divorce, death, or friends or family walking away from Christ. These types of challenges can be overwhelming and difficult to endure. But ask yourself, is there any challenge in life the Lord cannot carry me through? I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). The closer we are to the Lord, the more we trust him and the more strength and endurance we receive from him.
The secret of living with the Lord’s strength and endurance is given in the following verses.
- Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37) We love the Lord more than anyone or anything, which means we have more love to give to our family and the world. We are to be closer to the Lord than anyone on the planet.
- We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20) We represent Christ in the foreign land, and we see heaven as our home. This helps us to see earthly life as temporary and therefore, everything we endure as temporary.
- Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Just as Jesus did what the Father told him, we too do what the Holy Spirit tells us. We live as the Lord’s servant, leaving our prayers in his hands and following the Holy Spirit.
- It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). We are free in Christ and no longer slaves to the world because we have overcome the world. Our souls live in the Kingdom while our flesh lives in the world, which means our thoughts are controlled by the Spirit.
When these verses fill our hearts we have the divine power of God to sustain us through anything this world places in our paths. Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience (Colossians 1:11). The Lord gives us his strength, power, or whatever we need to endure and overcome every challenge we face in this brief, earthly life.
Today know you can overcome any challenge through the love and power of the Lord. The Lord gives us whatever we need to endure spiritually and to endure physically until his plans for our lives are complete. Therefore, walk in peace with the power, love, and security of the Lord. And never forget the world is not your home; heaven is your home.
Let’s Pray: Lord, help me to accept any challenge through your strength, endurance and guidance. Fill my heart with faith that can move mountains as I trust you in all things. Lord, I trust you with my life as you guide me through the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the love and care you have for me. Guide me to be your humble servant. In Jesus’ name, Amen.