We all know that in life, we will have to face difficulties and temptations, but have you ever felt like some troubles and difficulties were simply too hard to deal with? Did you ever think to yourself that this one situation was simply too great for you to handle? As Christians, how are we supposed to handle these struggles? Stick around and let's take a look at what our faith tells us about how we should proceed.
Welcome to answers from an apostolic faith.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
How do I handle great temptations and difficulties during troublesome times? When the temptation or the problem that I am facing simply feels insurmountable or too heavy to carry, what does God expect of me? Many of us have faced such situations in our life where we turn to God and say: Lord, I just can't do it!
And if we are to address this together, then let's first remember: we need to place the Lord's promises in the front of us. Without these promises set before our eyes, we will be tempted to point the finger, to blame God and to act as if He is somehow the cause and the author of the unfortunate circumstances that we face in our lives. So, let's take a look and let's try to put some of these promises in the front of us.
1 Moses, while speaking to the people of Israel, he says the following:
'' 6 ''Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.'' '' (Deuteronomy 31:6)
2 David, the prophet and the king, he says to us:
'' 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'' (Psalm 46:1)
3 St. Paul comes to us and he says the following:
'' 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.'' (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
4 St. James comes around and he teaches us that no one should say that he is tempted by God. Says:
'' 13 (...) God cannot [tempt] by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.'' (James 1:13)
5 And most importantly for our conversation today, St. Paul again makes a very important declaration. He promises that God will never allow us to take on more than what we can handle. He says in first Corinthians:
'' 13 (...) God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.'' (1 Corinthians 10:13)
If we keep these promises in the front of us at all times, we will realize that the Lord is for us; He is not against us. And then, no matter the circumstance, we can patiently endure as the Lord Himself guides us to what He wills.
Beloved, let's understand something very important throughout this conversation. Your adversary, the devil, the enemy of all humankind is much wittier, much smarter, has much more endurance and much more experience than you and I will ever have. And so, by default, when we suffer either and are tempted during trying times, you are disadvantaged if you attempt to fight alone. And this is where it is crucial to understand that you were never meant to face this fallen reality alone, but rather, you are invited to turn to God.
The Lord says in Scripture:
'' 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; [and] I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.'' (Psalm 50:15)
We must learn that things are only greater than us if we rely solely on our own strength and intelligence. The solution is always found in asking for God's grace. St. John Chrysostom explains this by alluding to God supplying us with what we lack when we are tempted and are forced to face off against what we normally would not be able to overcome. He explains what St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians by saying that God provides a way out, thus meaning we wouldn't succeed without Him. Listen to what he says in his Homilies on the Book of Corinthians:
''Paul implies that there must be temptations which we cannot bear. [And] what are these? Well, all of them in effect. [For the ability to bear...] For the ability to bear them comes from God's grace, which we obtain by asking for it. God gives us patience and brings us speedy deliverance. In this way the temptation becomes bearable.'' (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians, 24.1.19)
God is the source of the very virtue that we need to overcome the temptations we are facing. If we need strength, He becomes our strength. If we need patience, He supplies it. If we need wisdom, discernment, grace, courage, all of it is from Him. And so, no matter the trial, the temptation, the trouble or the hardship, the Lord God is our only hope for victory and success.
A great example of enduring troublesome trials that are unprovoked by the person can be found in the life of Joseph the Righteous. Joseph, after being mercilessly betrayed and sold by his brothers, he finds himself working in Potiphar's household. Joseph then gains favour in the sight of his master Potiphar's eyes. And while ruling over Potiphar's household, he is then falsely accused by his master's wife and is then thrown into prison. Thus far, Joseph's life seems to be one difficulty after another. And yet Scripture says that God was with him and had mercy on him. Listen to how the Bible explains the events that happened:
'' 19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, ''Your servant did to me after this manner,'' that his anger was aroused. 20 [And] then Joseph’s master took him and put him into (...) prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. [Now, listen to this next part.] 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.'' (Genesis 39:19-21)
Scripture explicitly says that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy. Now, we may be tempted to think: How was the Lord with him and yet he endured such evil? or Where is the mercy if these things happened to him? And this is, my beloved, where we have to realize that the Lord's ways are different than our own. God never promises us a life without difficulty nor does He promise that we will have some sort of immunity to pain and suffering, but rather that He will carry us throughout the difficult times that we will face.
Christ Himself makes it very, very clear to us. He says:
'' 33 (...) ''In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.'' '' (John 16:33)
Again, let's repeat that, so we can be clear: In the world, [we] will have tribulation. We will face troubles. We'll face pain, suffering and evil. But He has overcome. And so, we too will overcome in Him, just as Joseph overcame when in his faithfulness and patience, the Lord granted him to become ruler over all of Egypt after being falsely accused and imprisoned.
And while you and I might not have the same worldly elevation that Joseph received, our eternal reward is guaranteed by our faithful Saviour. He tells you and me, just as He told the church of Smyrna in the book of Revelation before they were about to suffer evil, He says to them, just as He says to us:
'' 10 (...) ''Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.'' '' (Revelation 2:10)
May we learn to turn to Him in every difficult circumstance. May we ask of Him the very virtues that we need to succeed and to be victorious. And may He always reward us for remaining faithful despite the difficulties that we may face.
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