Life brings with it so many struggles. They’re hard, challenging and, let’s face it, there are some days that you want nothing more than to just turn off your alarm and pull the covers over your head. How is it possible for you to find peace in your pain?
As Christians, it feels that life shouldn’t be so hard, that we shouldn’t have to go through the struggles and certainly not have to live through them over and over again.
But we know this isn’t true. We know that no matter how close we are to God, we’re still going to have trials. We’re still going to journey through that valley, and some of them will be long and downright hard.
In fact, as John 16:33 tells us,
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” NLT
Here’s what I’ve learned over the last several years from my many journeys through that valley. It is possible to experience pain and peace all at the same time. It’s possible to enjoy life during the storms and to find joy right in the middle of your mess.
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The secret to being able to enjoy life right in the middle of your storm is building a solid foundation, a solid relationship with God.
I’ve known God all my life, but it wasn’t until several years ago, right in the middle of a difficult chronic illness that I started to have a relationship with Him. (If you haven’t already, you can read about my chronic illness here.) I felt Him calling me, tugging at me, and knew that it was time for me to really dive deeper into knowing Him.
Only then did I begin really getting to know God. He met me right in the middle of my mess and taught me that it is possible to have both pain and peace simultaneously. That despite my circumstances, I could still feel joy, and I could still be truly happy.
How about you. Do you find yourself struggling in the mess? Struggling not to worry about the all the stress in your life? Are you unhappy all the time because life and it’s many trials feel like they are smothering you, rendering you useless and unable to find anything positive in your life?
Perhaps it’s time for a change in your perspective and a change in your relationship with God. It’s time to turn to Him and ask Him to show you life through His eyes and not your own.
Ways to Grow closer to God
Here are some ways that will help you get started right now.
- Begin your day with God. There’s absolutely nothing like beginning your day in His Word, learning what the bible has to teach you. It’ll put life in perspective and allow you to begin your day on a positive note.
- Talk to Him throughout your day, not just morning and/or night. Whisper a quick thank you or just a simple, “Jesus,” multiple times. That simple act alone is enough to bring your focus back to Him and off yourself and the daily struggles you go through.
- Listen to podcasts or Christian books on audio while you’re commuting to work, folding laundry, cleaning the house, sitting at the kid’s practices in the evenings. (There are so many great podcasts out there right now, but my favorite is The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey.)
- Start a nightly habit of listing all the blessings God has given you throughout the day. When you begin to focus more on your blessings, you’ll stop focusing on how stressed you are and how difficult life is. In fact, hang that list up on your mirror, in the car, or at your desk so you have it right in front of you, reminding you of all you have to be thankful for.
Every time you begin to worry, every time you find yourself becoming obsessed with your struggles and feel like your life is hopeless, remember all the blessings you’ve written down.
Just doing these four little things will make a huge difference in changing your perspective and help you begin enjoying your life, even in the storms.
Find peace in your pain
It’s going to take some practice, but learning to put your complete trust in God and live more freely is worth every amount of effort you put into it.
When God created you, He didn’t expect you to live with so much stress, never able to enjoy what He’s provided for you here on this earth, and Jesus certainly didn’t sacrifice himself on that cross for you to live in misery.
You have so much more to be thankful for then you do stresses in your life.
Even in that deep and treacherous valley you are in, you can still find green meadows and peaceful streams. And best of all, you’ll find God. . . walking right beside you, holding you by your right hand and ready to show you the magnificent beauty that can be found in even the deepest of valleys.
You simply have to open your eyes and allow Him to show you, my friend!
Ready to dive deeper?
I’m so glad you stopped by the blog today and I hope this post has helped you see that no matter what is going on in your life, no matter what struggle you are facing right now, you can still find joy. You can still experience peace right in the middle of your pain.
If you’d like to dive further into this subject and strengthen your relationship with God, be sure to check out my new 30-day devotional, Finding Peace in the Mess. Get all the details here.
I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below and tell me one thing that you are thankful for today!
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Until next time, my friend……
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Learning how to put our complete trust in God isn’t easy. We say we trust God, but what we really mean is that we trust Him for what we want, when we want it. At Footprints of Inspiration we uncover who you are and why you were created; how to walk in healing through forgiveness; and how to go before the Lord with confidence. Through this journey, you’ll discover that it truly is possible to experience peace, even in the hardest times in your life.
Tammy Rotzoll is the founder and owner of Footprints of Inspiration and podcast host at A Faithful God Podcast (which can be found on your favorite podcast player). She lives in Virginia with her husband and together they’re learning how to navigate their fun, new adventure as empty nesters.
Join Tammy and the FOI community and discover the freedom that comes from saying, “Heck yeah, God! I’m all in!”
Hi Tammy, thanks for sharing this encouraging post filled with hope in God. To answer your question, today I am thankful for His grace, lovingkindness, comfort, and perfect plan.
Have a sweet Sunday.
Hi Indra! Thank you so much for stopping by the blog and taking the time to reach out.
Those are, indeed, some incredible blessings that He has provided for you. May you continue to find hope in God and find that peace that transcends all.