Facing Life's Challenges God's Way

Our family is currently living in a season of change, challenge, and transition and, as a result, a season of growth.

A few months ago, my husband took a chance and applied for his dream job. Within a few short weeks, he had landed the job, and we were uprooting our family to move from Florida to Alabama.

It’s no secret that moving is stressful. In fact, it’s on the list of top five most stressful things a person can experience in life. As with any move, we had a few extenuating circumstances that made the whole process even more challenging.

Two small children.

A long closing period on our home in Florida which delayed the purchase of our new home in Alabama. We were essentially nomads for a couple of months.

Severely cold weather and winter storms.

I could go on, but why?

Whether it’s a move, another life transition, unexpected difficulties in life, or just the challenges of the day to day, there is always something.

I once saw this as disheartening. I once saw this as bad news, as a problem to be solved. If I could just figure out a way to do everything right, then maybe I’d stop facing challenges.

As I’ve sought the Holy Spirit during this season of change and challenge, though, I’ve received a new perspective – a biblical one – of trial and trouble. I have known these biblical answers in my head for a long time, but understanding and believing the truth deep within my spirit? That’s where the transformation is taking place.

Three Choices when Facing Life's Challenges

We all have a choice to make when facing life's challenges. We can turn to self-protection and coping mechanisms, we can use the challenge as an excuse to stay stagnant, or we can dig into the mess and grow through the pain.

Option 1: Self-Protect

When we go through difficulties, it is tempting to want to lean away as much as possible to avoid hurt and pain at all costs. I have personally used cynicism, anger, and even checking out on life through over-reading as coping mechanisms in difficult times. These things (and any other coping mechanism of choice) can make us feel like we’re in control in the moment, but they really are just our way of building walls of self-protection around ourselves. We do these kinds of things to survive and avoid the trials and troubles we’re walking through as much as possible. Unfortunately, in the long run, the walls we build around ourselves do much more harm than good, keeping in the pain and keeping out the only thing that can truly heal us – love.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Relying on ourselves for protection amid trials is a form of leaning on our own understanding. We reject God’s help and choose our own because, in the moment, it feels more secure. But God promises here in Proverbs that when we lean on Him rather than on ourselves, He will make our paths straight, and that includes the path through hardship and trouble.

Option 2: Stay Stagnant

The second choice we have when walking through challenges is to coast and stay stagnant. We can easily use the trials of life as an excuse not to grow. While at first glance it seems to make sense that we might put personal growth on the backburner as we survive through difficulties, it’s actually quite the slippery slope. Why? Because life is hard pretty much all the time. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Another trial, another excuse not to allow God to sanctify us from glory to glory when, in fact, He’s giving us these trials for the very purpose of growing us. I’ve been here. It’s easy to think, “Once I get through X, then I’ll take care of Y.” But then something else comes up and becomes the new reason to push off taking care of what we know the Holy Spirit is working on in us. I have found that when we approach challenges this way, God will continue to bring up the issues He wants us to deal with, but each time a little louder until we finally bow the knee and take Him up on His offer to grow in Him.

James 4:17 says it clearly: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” There is no caveat on this verse that says “unless you’re going through a difficult time.” We have the opportunity every day and every moment to be obedient to God, and He will give us the opportunity again and again to move forward in faith with Him. When we reject that offer and choose to stay stagnant, avoiding growth in the midst of hardships, we are not doing the good we know we ought to do, leaning into the Father and allowing Him to work in us. The good news is, though, His invitation stands, and He offers us opportunity after opportunity every day and every moment to dust ourselves off and start moving forward with Him.

Option 3: Accept God’s Invitation to Grow

The final option is the road less traveled. This is what God invites us into. He invites us to participate in the trials and challenges and to lean on Him in the process. Along the way, He promises to be our Comforter, our Refuge and Strength, our Counselor (2 Corinthians 1:3, Psalm 46:1, John 14:26). He promises to be with us every step of the way, even in the darkest valley (Psalm 23:4). He promises to light our path with His Word (Psalm 119:105). He promises victory in the end and spiritual growth and maturity along the journey, and all for our good and His glory.

The choice seems clear when it’s laid out like this, but the truth is, the final option, though the best can feel the most daunting because it requires us to fully surrender. The thought of full surrender can be frightening in the midst of trials and challenges because our human tendency is to reach for control. But it is my experience that the more I say, “yes” to surrendering to God in the difficult moments of life (both small and big alike), the easier it becomes the next time and the next. The more I allow God the space to work, the more He proves Himself faithful. Then, as other challenges arise, I am able to remember God’s goodness and trust Him with greater ease because I know Him to be true to His Word and His character. It doesn’t mean circumstances always work out how we would choose, but it means God reveals Himself to us and draws us deeper and deeper into relationship with Him along the way.

This is His invitation to each one of us.

Choose Him Daily

Life is full of challenges large and small alike, and God invites us to choose Him over and over again. With each new trial, He invites us closer in. With each difficult moment, He gives us a chance to know Him more. We will all fall short of this invitation sometimes. That’s the beauty of God’s grace. His invitation stands. We have the opportunity this day and everyday to say “yes” to His way and trust that He will lead us through to greater victory and closer relationship with Him because He is and always will be faithful to His promises.