Dealing with Challenges as a Christian.

Let me start by saying this: if you've ever been told that the moment you give your life to Christ, every single problem in your life disappears, I'm sorry, but you've been lied to. For some people, that was the line they were bought over into Christianity with, and because their expectations of a problem-free life weren't met, they left Christ thinking following God was the problem. Life is hard, and when life gets tough, strong people go tougher. They don't give up. The difference Christ makes is to give you strength to face the challenges, help you fight your battles, give you victory, and give you peace in the middle of the storm to calm your heart and rest your soul.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Apostle Paul spoke about his weaknesses, how the enemy tried to bring him down by keeping him in touch with his pain and frustrations and not letting him glory in the revelations he received from God. Two things about that section of the Bible spoke to me:

First, from verse 6 of the same chapter, he mentioned how he was right by speaking of the revelations. However, he acknowledged the fact that he might have some shortcomings in the way he is perceived by people, and he decided to refrain from 'boasting' to avoid extra credit for what he didn't deserve. Paul acknowledging his own shortcomings is a beautiful example of why Christians should stop trying to 'act holy' because when they do, the world would have different and very expectations and standards for them that they might not meet all the time, and trying to meet up with such standards would be pleasing the people of the world instead of actually having a relationship with God and letting Him fix you while He wors through you. He also acknowledged the shortcomings of human nature, which many Christians don't like to accept because of the mentality that once one confesses his/her allegiance to Christ, he/she is meant to be holy, 24/7 and perfect in all dealings immediately, which is the direct opposite of reality.

Being a child of God doesn't mean the absence of weaknesses, troubles, pain, anxiety or negative emotions, and all the likes. It also doesn't mean perfection in everything. Being a Christian is actually a continuous process of God breaking down your idols, the things and relationships you once cherished, and using your situations to fix you. It is God taking you from the place you want to be to a place He wants you to be, a place He designed and successfully crafted out for you. Accept your shortcomings, embrace your weaknesses wholeheartedly and take them to God. Don't try to deny or hide it. John 4.24 says "...they that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in truth", so go with your truth, go with the reality of who you are, not only your strengths, but your shortcomings, and let God help you deal with your situations and fix you.

Another part of that experience that spoke to me was the fact that while Paul was going through a hard time, he did not use that as an excuse to leave God's presence or stop his services to God. He also did not blame God for letting the situation happen to him. Rather, in the midst of all of that, he went straight back to God, asking for help and grace. The reply God gave to him was "My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression in your weaknesses" (2 Corinthians 12.9, TPT). God did not take away the affliction nor cast the devil away. He rather reminded Paul of the availability of His grace already given for Paul to work with it. And in verse 10, we find Paul rejoicing in the answer he was given. He was happy and grateful that provision has been made, rather than blaming God for letting whatever happened to happen.

Also, in the latter part of verse 10, the Apostle expressed his willingness to even endure more. I love how The Passion Translation puts it, "...for my weakness becomes a portal to God's power." Apostle Paul realized that his challenges should be reasons to take him back to God, not to draw him away from God or blame God. Let your most down moments be the more reason to run back to God instead of blaming Him and running away from Him. Really, God did not promise the absence of challenges in life, what He did promise was to stick with us through it all. Don't let your challenges be the reason you pulled away from God's presence.

When you're at your worst should be when you spend your most time with God. God would never cause anything bad to happen to His children, He would rather turn bitter situations to your favor by making a testimony out of your trials or using the situation to fix you by highlighting certain lessons He wants you to get from the experience. Whatever God's choice is to do at the moment, you just have to trust God, lean on Him and fix your gaze and your heart on Him so you get the best out of the situation. Don't get caught up in your anger and frustration that you lose out on both ends. Walking with God is the best coping mechanism for dealing with tough times. There's an assurance of victory while walking out of the situation, grace to deal with triggers during and after, and most importantly, peace in the midst of the storm to calm your heart and still your soul. It is trusting God even when you can't fathom what's going on, not leaning on your own understanding but acknowledging His presence and letting Him take over everything. As a Christian, while dealing with tough situations, prayer should be your first response, not your last resort.