Wiser Than Before

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33 NIV

Let’s face it, life is often messy. It’s common to hear people say things like, “My life is a mess,” or “This situation is a mess.” What they mean is that life has become difficult, painful or confusing. And in the middle of a mess, it can often feel like God is a million miles away.

I don’t know the exact circumstances you may be dealing with right now, but I want to assure you that God loves you, He is fighting for you, and He will never leave or forsake you—never (see Romans 8:31-39; Hebrews 13:6). The truth is, we will all face trouble and pain in life, but if we handle it the way God wants us to, we can be blessed even in the midst of it. We serve a big God who is greater than any mess!

I think it’s interesting that God never promises us a trouble-free existence. Jesus says, In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NKJV). Life does not always go as we would like. We all go through seasons that are peaceful and pleasant. But we also need to be prepared and strong spiritually for the times when it gets messy.

The Bible is filled with instructions on how to handle ourselves when difficulties come our way, and I’ll cover some of them in this study. However, I want to begin with these three: Remain patient, continue to trust God when you don’t understand what is going on, and stay positive (see Romans 12:12; Proverbs 3:5). No matter what unpleasant circumstances we may face, if we do these three things, we can enjoy life while He works on our problems.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that it’s easy to behave one way when we like our circumstances and another when we find them challenging. However, it’s possible to be stable in every situation, and our ability to do so is based on our thinking and believing. If we think positively and expect something good to come from our trouble…if we trust God and remind ourselves that He is good, we can make it through difficulties more easily than if we are negative and don’t trust Him.

It’s also important to know that change is a process. I’ve been in a serious relationship with God for more than 45 years. Like everyone, I began as a baby Christian, behaving like a baby and reacting emotionally every time life became difficult or situations didn’t go my way. However, over the years, I have learned how to behave, and God’s Word and His Spirit have changed me. I can testify that the things that once upset me greatly do not disturb me at all now. Why? Because I know how they will end if I do what God asks me to do—to remain patient, stay positive and trust Him. In the end, I know I will be strengthened by my troubles as time goes by.

Now, I am far from perfect. Just a few days ago, a situation threatened to ruin my plans for the day, and I became impatient and frustrated. My family started preaching my sermons back to me, which only added to my frustration! The good news is that within 10 minutes, I felt peaceful and the day turned out as I had planned after all. There are times I don’t behave properly, and I am still growing. But thankfully I have improved a lot, and I am determined not to let the enemy steal the joy of my progress by causing me to focus on my remaining weaknesses.

Remember, God doesn’t change us all at once—we grow little by little as we study His Word and spend time with Him. If you have not handled your problems well in the past, then with God’s help, you can begin to handle them better, starting now. You can begin with even just one thought that says, God, I trust You. I believe You’re going to do something great in the midst of what I’m going through.

As you do, you will become more and more stable…and come out better than you were when your difficulty began.

This devotional by Joyce Meyer Ministries is available at Bible.com.