How faith gives us the strength to work through struggles.
There are many reasons people allow their faith to wane. They may have experienced the loss of a loved one or a severe illness or even broken relationships—and wondered why God didn’t intervene. Or they may feel disconnected from a faith community after a betrayal or moral failure of a leader.
The truth is that all of us will encounter pain during this life. Jesus knew this, saying, “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). Faith doesn’t eliminate the struggles but instead gives us the strength to work through them as we persevere and grow in our relationship with God.
Here are 10 strategies you can use to persevere in faith and find strength for whatever difficulties you may face.
1. Develop spiritual habits.
Just as a teacher needs to learn instructional skills, we need faith skills. These are developed primarily in two ways: reading the Bible and praying. Reading even just a few verses daily will infuse you with truth and hope, and prayer will help you develop the habit of turning to God as a first response in times of trouble, instead of as a last resort.
2. Cultivate gratitude.
Learning to thank God for everything is another faith tool. Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV). Even when a problem develops, you can thank God for His presence to see you through it and even thank Him for that hard situation, as our faith grows when we rely upon Him.
3. Recall God’s faithfulness.
Maxine has lived through physical challenges as well as a situation of legal injustice. One way she has learned to persevere in her faith is recalling God’s acts of faithfulness in her life. As she prays, she thanks God for seeing her through challenges, as she remembers them—from young years until recent ones. You can pray, “Thank you, God. Help me through this and help me see the upside of it.”
4. Remember God’s promises.
One benefit of memorizing Bible promises is that when difficulties arise, those promises are at the ready. If this isn’t a practice you’ve started, this verse is a great place to start: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).
5. Choose joy.
Another way to put faith into action is by choosing a joyful, hope-filled perspective. Author Pam Farrel is well known for this response when someone asks how she is doing: “Choosin’ joy!” This saying is more than just positive self-talk; it expresses the hope seen in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).
6. Pursue faith relationships.
Hanging out with like-minded people of faith is a wise practice. They can pray for you when you need encouragement. They can speak truth and wisdom when you’re confused and need direction. And they can exhort you to make wise personal choices.
7. Allow God to guide you.
Speaking of choices, many of them can truly send us in the wrong direction. Asking God for His guidance and then choosing His path grows our faith as well as our example to others around us. Psalm 25:4 shows us this prayer is as simple as “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths” (NIV).
8. Beware of emotions.
We all have emotional responses to others’ remarks and difficulties that drop into our path. But when we continually respond in an emotional manner, we may not be taking steps of faith and have regrets later for what we’ve said or done. A deep breath, a prayer, and some moments of reflection can give you the time you need to collect your thoughts and respond in a manner of faith.
9. Seek balance and rest.
Our calendars are often filled to the max, leaving us feeling depleted and exhausted all the time. Physician Saundra Dalton-Smith suggests we may need more than just physical rest—but also mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative rest. For example, many of us spend too much time on our phones and computers—taxing our senses and mental capacities. A half-hour walk might be a better alternative for decompressing from a day. A balanced life is a healthier one!
10. Wait with expectation.
We live in an Instacart world, in which we expect lines to move more quickly and answers to our prayers to drop immediately from heaven. Learning to wait with expectation builds our faith capacity. Because we follow a God who loves us, we can believe that “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). In other words, faith is not misplaced because God is faithful.
Choosing faith as a daily practice in circumstances of joy, frustration, and sorrow will build your spiritual muscles. God is not distant. He is near and desires that you seek His companionship. You truly can experience God’s presence, assurance, and help for your daily walk as you utilize these simple exercises.
