For the Days When You Just Can't Go On

By: Shari A. Miller

Some days, life seems sweet, like a cool summer breeze, with the wind caressing ever so gently across your face.You can feel the sun warm your cheeks and you laugh like a child as you think of what tomorrow holds.

And other days........

Well, not so much.

Let's just face it. Life can be just plain hard.

Sometimes the troubles seem to mount one after the other, whether it be financial struggles, broken down cars, broken down relationships and why not throw in a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis for the cherry on the top.

I know we all face problems like these and sometimes even worse. Sometimes in the middle of the night I can find myself whispering, "Really God? Is this it? I can't do this anymore. I just can't go on. Oh please help me Lord."

Have you been there too?

When you run across times like these, there are a few things that you can do....

1. Complain about your situation and make yourself miserable and everyone else around you. When you make this choice, you'll end up with and outcome that you don't like.....

You will hinder your witness for Jesus. Ouch. 

That's something I don't want to do, but I understand how tempting it is to make this choice. I sometimes do myself. But thankfully, I'm learning as I trust in Jesus for the answers. We have to be very careful when we rely on only our emotions during these times. We must rely on God's Word and what says to us.

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." ~Proverbs 28:26 (ESV)

2. The second thing that you can do when struggles arise is to take it to God in prayer and read His Word. Never, ever, stop praying during times such as these. Call out to God, He hears our cries. Memorizing His Word is another thing that will give us the strength to keep going.

"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." ~ Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

3. The third thing that you can do during life's trials is to call upon your friends and ask them to lift you up in prayer. It's comforting to know that your friends are approaching the thrown of God on your behalf.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  ~1 Theassalonians 5:11 (NIV)

We must remember that we can not let trials stop God's calling for our lives. We need to lay our difficult situations at the feet of Jesus, and we need to remember to leave them there. We have to persevere, and push forward. Day by day, moment by moment, a minute at a time, we keep moving with Jesus.

In the book of Acts we read the story of how Paul and Silas persevered after they had been beaten and thrown into prison.

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.  At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 

~ Acts 16:25-36 (NIV)

Just imagine if they said no to God. What if they just gave up and said I've had enough of this! But, they didn't! They called on God and praised His name when the hard times came and because of it, the jailer and his family were saved. They also continued the work of building the church of God.

What choice will you make when you feel like you just can't go on? Will you let self pity, anxiety and anger take control? That's not the answer friends. 

Call on the name of God, take it minute by minute if need be. He'll walk beside you and help you carry on. He will help you carry out your calling one step at a time.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

It is time for the Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesday Link Up. We desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories in their comments.

Use hashtag #w2wwordfilledwednesday

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1. Must be a {Christian} faith post.
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3. Visit and comment on at least one other blog in the link up.

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