At my weakest, I will rest in Him At my best, I will serve Him
Sneha Michael
Hi, I hope you are having a good day. If you are not, that’s completely fine too! Not everything we face in life makes us happy.
A Christ-loving woman and a happy wife of Michael!
I met Jesus at a young age. No, I wasn’t a Christian. I was born into a devout Hindu family that was orthodox and disciplined. My mother was the first in our family to meet Jesus in her most painful phase of life. She died a few years after that. But those few years, she taught me the love of Jesus. I know that I will always miss her, but the love of Jesus gripped me for all these years.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour at a young age. As I grew, the reality of life started hitting me hard. Life was only getting tougher as days passed on! Not knowing how to deal with most situations, I had mental stress as a teenager and developed psychosomatic disorders. I later had hormonal issues which resulted in an Endometriosis diagnosis. I have had Endometriosis for more than a decade now.
Life wasn’t pleasant, but when my mother passed away, God gave me a promise!
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Isaiah 66:13
Whenever I felt low and sad, I looked to God for comfort and help and asked Him to talk to me. God never failed to speak to me through His word. I found strength by relying on Him.
Though I have debilitating pain and incurable diseases, I look up to God because He taught me to live in joy and peace in all situations. I pray that this page brings you the same joy and peace I received from the Lord.
Firstly, I wish I had a one-word answer to this. I do not.
Our struggle can be with people, situations, health, etc. What is that a Christian should do when faced with a battle of any kind?
Battles are hard! Some stay for a short period, and some go on for a very long time. Are you facing one such struggle or multiple struggles? Are you tired? Do you desperately want this to end? Are you hoping that this never comes back and that there is a quick solution to all this? What is your battle? Is it with people? Is it financial? Emotional/psychological? Physical health? One with Family? Whatever it is that you are facing today, there is a way to fight it.
1. Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:7
Take your battle to God. We fight our battles through prayer. What happens when you pray?
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
If the waiting feels too long, do not give up! Let me repeat, do not give up! Evil is so quick to act and discourage God’s children. Also, remember that your battle is against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6: 10 – 18)
Confront Satan! Declare God’s hopeful and amazing promises over your life.
With some battles, God will show you a way but for some, this is what He will say – “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” – Exodus 14:14
2. Do not be hasty
We love instant solutions. The emotional rush in battles compel us to make quick decisions. Be patient. Ask God to talk to you. Read the word of God. The Holy Spirit God will give peace in your situation.
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, empower, strengthen, and establish you.” – 1 Peter 5:10
God’s mercies are new every morning so you can experience His comfort and strength daily. If you are not seeing this, then it means that you are not relying on Him. Reflect and see what is hindering you to feel His presence. Worship God in times of trouble, and evil will flee from you!
3. Remember, not all battles are won!
Be ready to lose. We tend to hold on to people and situations dearly, and God wants us to let go! Though letting go might be very painful, you will see great peace in this wise decision in days to come.
Listen to what God is telling you. If it’s a sin that caused this whole situation, repent in the presence of God. Ask His forgiveness. God will restore you. He is a God of compassion.
“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” – Hebrews 8:12
4. Rest
Fight your battles from the place of rest. God will not forsake you. You are more tuned to God when you are silent. In times like these, you understand God’s perspective of your situation better. Do not withhold from asking your brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for you! It would be best if you had them the most in times like these. Do not entirely rely on them for prayers but do pray yourself.
You will see a better and more beautiful perspective unravel with time!
5. Be kind to yourself
Just know that you are not the only one with problems. Everyone is fighting their own battle. Stop sympathizing with yourself. Rather be kind to yourself. Do things that make you happy. Come out of your isolation and talk to people. Listen to music. Go out and breathe fresh air. Spend time with loved ones. Do not torture yourself by any means. Every problem has a solution. The Creator always has answers for His creation.
6. Take inspiration from the children of God
Who is your inspiration in seeking God? Is it someone from the bible? Is it a family member? Is it a preacher who you listen to regularly? Read or listen to their stories of deliverance and draw inspiration from them. I always had people from time to time who inspired and challenged me in my spiritual life. I try to imitate them through the help of the Holy Spirit. Aspire those attitudes and their personality.
May God help you have a positive outlook on your situation.
I thank this lovely group of brothers and sisters in Christ who shared their inputs to this article.
From left to right: Lois, Shakaina, Manoj, Bob, Rose, Me, My Dear Husband Michael and Jeevan Mathew.
Have you been upset? Do you have no interest in talking to people about it? Does the pain seem to get worse? Is this something that you did not expect to happen?
You are not alone!
Even though you have known Lord for a long time, how can you overcome this?
There is a way, and this is what I want to discuss in this article. I don’t want to condemn you for your feelings. I want to tell you that it’s ok to feel this way. I’m not telling you to be perfect. I’m telling you that brokenness happens not just in your life but in everyone’s life.
What is God doing in such a situation?
Firstly, it’s important to know that God is not ignoring you. He knows it all and sees it all. In all your brokenness, He loves you. He is looking at your pain and knows that you are struggling. It might be something you have kept to yourself and find it extremely hard to convey to others.
Believe it or not, whatever happens to you, is not permanent. You will be out of it. But just one thing, win this trial with faith in God. You will come out wiser than you thought. Do you realize that wisdom doesn’t come overnight? You need to overcome this situation and minister to people on how to overcome their trials.
The Bible says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” 2 Corinthian 1:3,4
His plans are higher than yours. I encourage you with all love to see the bigger picture and deliverance God has planned for you and not delve into your painful thoughts. Fight with prayer. Seek peace in prayer and worship. God always has the best in store for you. Take heart and have the courage to take a step forward.
“The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you.” Deuteronomy 31:8
"Lord, I accept that I am weak. You promised to give me your strength. I ask you to help me overcome this trial with faith. Please fill me with your wisdom that I may not fall into the hands of the enemy."
In Jesus Name. Amen.
We often come across situations in our life that trouble our heart, cause stress and ruin our happy mood. So is life! There is never a constant emotion. We are faced with all kinds of situations, and so as Christians, what do we do?
Numerous thoughts cross our minds. We often question our circumstances, feel lost, depressed and hopeless. How long will this last? Why me? Is God even looking at me? Can’t He see how stressful this is? Is there even a solution? Why are people so mean? Can I run away from this situation? Why struggle?
Having faced such struggles, I have often felt depressed, spent days crying at night, and struggled to overcome what I felt. If this is you, do not worry. It is not unusual to feel this way! If you read the book of Job and Psalms, you realize that these great men of God had a severe emotional crisis. Job in the third chapter questioned his existence, and David talks explicitly about his sorrows in Psalms.
I found a breakthrough, and that changed my life. This precious lesson that God taught me gave me the strength and future hope that I never had.
Seeing our situation from His perspective
My constant suffering brought me closer to God. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that He will not allow us to suffer beyond that we can bear. But I always questioned this! I often felt that I was facing a situation above my ability to handle it. You might also feel this! Just believe in this verse. Our foundation as Christian is purely based on ‘faith’. Because the verse ends this way, “He will provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
There is no situation that God cannot solve. Cry unto Him, pray, stay quiet. And, repeat this. Learn not to question or sin during this time (Job 1:22). That way, you will not regret later. I have learnt to remain calm and and relieve my emotions through crying, and sometimes I sleep to relax my mind (Do what works for you).
If you have a companion, ask them to pray for you and, if possible, pray with them. And if you are alone and do not want to pray. Do not worry. Relax, come back and pray.
Here is what you need to tell yourself.
My God knows my situation. He sees my suffering. He has promised never to leave me. He is going to give me new strength to face my problems. Even if the world abandons me, my God will not. I will not stop trusting Him. I know that all of this will result in good (Romans 8:28). He has it in control. He will not allow me to be tested beyond my ability. Even if I don’t feel it, I trust it.
His power is made perfect in weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9 – We often hear the line, ‘My grace is sufficient for you’ and not really focus on what follows it. And this is it, ‘His power is made perfect in his weakness.’ Precisely in our physical weakness! Paul was tested, and that is when God gave him this promise.
You realize that you don’t have the strength to handle your difficulty/situation. You are losing it! Do not worry. The Bible says, ‘Fear not,’ ‘Be not afraid,’ ‘Take heart.’ Look unto God! His strength and power will fill your life.
FOCUS on Him!
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit’ – Zec 4:6. Yes, this will be your experience as it has been mine. God gave me strength that was humanly not possible, a hope that He will deliver me and that He is fighting for me.
Some of my situations took days, months and years to solve. There was a deliverance. It was just not in the time that I wanted, but when God perfectly planned it for me. Those days of waiting, suffering and pain taught me patience and made me a better person. I see God much closer than I did before.
Joyful in all situations
“Consider it pure joy… when you face trials of many kinds” – James 1:2
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” – Romans 12:12
This is exclusive to the children of God and the most incredible privilege that I think we all have. God wants us to rejoice in pain and suffering. Learn to be joyful in Him. Praise Him because, by faith, you know that there is hope and deliverance in Christ. My God will make a way for me when I don’t see it! He will, and so I will rejoice in all my suffering. Make it a practice to thank God (I Thess 5:18), and you will never again be lost in your thinking and depression. Listen to songs, messages, and podcasts. Read the word of God, and so, be engaged in an activity that helps. Always remind yourself to rejoice in the Lord!!
This is my breakthrough! An approach to suffering that no more leads me to depression. I am stronger and happier because I have learnt to face my situations. I pray over your life and believe that you will seek his strength and rejoice in all your sufferings because He is our hope!!
Lord, I speak joy and deliverance in the life of the one reading this. Help them to see your perspective. Train them to rejoice in suffering and let them be filled with your heavenly peace. In Jesus Name. Amen.
God Fearing Women 