We all go through times of suffering, but we do not have to let those tough times be without purpose. In times of darkness, we need to shine our light even brighter and share our hope with others. Our actions and reactions during our difficult times can be a testimony of our faith in God, how good He is, and how He will restore us.
You are the light of the world–like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket. Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. Matthew 5:14-15 NLT
Our Suffering is a Testimony
During times of suffering, our actions can be a testimony to non-believers and believers. The way in which we handle difficult times, and the way we act during these times will speak volumes about our relationship with Jesus Christ.
If we are always irritable, down, and withdrawn, non-believers will question our faith. If our faith only holds up when our life is going good, then they will wonder what is the purpose of it all. Non-believers are watching us and how we handle life. Does our faith sustain us during good times and bad? Or do we only only truly believe when our life is full of sunshine?
Let’s take a look at what we need to do in order to demonstrate our faith better during difficult times.
Examine Your Speech
No matter how bad we may feel right now, this is not our entire life story. We are more than just the sum of all the negative things that have happened to us. Therefore, we need to watch what we say and how we say it, all the time, but especially when we are going through difficult times.
Do we constantly speak negatively or do our words reflect a positive attitude? If we start paying close attention to what we say, we may see that our words carry more negativity that we realized. We have to be purposeful in our speech, and we need to fast negativity.
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21 NLT
Fast Negative Words
I’m sure you have heard about doing a food fast, but we can also fast other things in our lives as well. We can fast negative words by not saying anything negative. Do not complain about anything. Do not complain about things you don’t like or things that irritate you. Don’t talk negatively about other people. Do not fuss about other drivers on the road. Don’t complain to your spouse about something they did or did not do.
Also, we shouldn’t always talk about how awful our situation is. I am not saying that we should not talk to someone about our problems. In fact, I absolutely recommend talking to someone because it is therapeutic to do so. However, we do not need to constantly tell people about those problems. We should not go around with a “Woe is me” attitude all the time.
Speak Life, not Death
Do not tell others that your situation is hopeless. That is a lie from the devil, so do not allow that lie to escape your lips. When we have faith in Jesus Christ, we do have hope. Jesus is our hope, and we need to convey that to non-believers who are listening to what we say, watching what we do.
In the midst of your turmoil, tell others all about your hope in Jesus. What a great time to witness, from the depths of the valley. It is easy to talk about hope when you are on the mountain, and everything is going well. However, when you are down and out, and you are still walking the walk and talking the talk of faith in Jesus Christ, non-believers are much more likely to take notice and receive that message.
Don’t let any evil talk come out of your mouths. Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 NIRV
Speak Positive. Speak Life. Speak Love. Tell people that God has got you in the palm of His hand. Tell them that things may look grim, but you have hope in Jesus Christ. Let them hear you praise the Lord. Let your praise be greater than your pain.
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 NKJV
…and Even More Importantly, Think Life
Not only do we need to fast saying negative words, but we also need to fast negative thoughts. Our thoughts directly influence what we say. Therefore, if we want to change the way we talk, then we need to address the way we think.
Do not allow negativity and hopelessness to set up house in your mind and thoughts. Many of our problems manifest right between our ears. We think ourselves into a lot of bad scenarios. We replay situations and conversations in our thoughts so many times that we invent a problem where there wasn’t one. We also talk down to ourselves and compare ourselves to others all the time, right there in our minds.
Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT
We have to put a stop to all of that negative thinking because it is not helpful and only causes more problems. Those thoughts are like parasites that grow in our minds, and they suck every positive notion right out of us. They spread into every part of who we are, and they affect how we feel, what we do, and what we say.
Ask God for Help
We need to pray and ask God to help us break this habit of negative thinking. It is a habit that we have nurtured for most of our lives. However, God can help us turn our thoughts around, and we will see a difference in how we feel and how we act. If your mind starts wandering back to the negatives, immediately intervene and pray and ask God to help you. Put on some good praise music. Get your Bible and read in the book of Psalms. Call an encouraging friend.
Purpose in the Pain
Do not let your time of suffering go to waste. Bring purpose to your pain. Stand on your faith, and use your dark times as a testimony. Tell others how you are trusting God and following His lead. Share with them the hope of Jesus Christ…how he died for our sins and rose from the grave, defeating death for us so that we can be forgiven of our sins. Tell them how God is always with us and holds us by his right hand. Tell them how He can do the same for them.
Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5 NLT
Love this! Amen!
Thank you Kriss!
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