Even in the hardest moments, there is something good, something redeemable, something covered in grace. We may not feel it at the time, but there is always hope, always the opportunity to overcome even in the midst of our greatest suffering.
I don’t like pain. I don’t like broken relationships. I don’t like feeling the lies of shame creep back up onto the surface. I don’t like being hurt. I don’t like injustice. And in the middle of those things, “overcoming” seems like an uphill climb. But that’s when I have to make the choice to take that first step. And then the next. And the next. Yes, there is suffering. And sometimes it hurts so badly that you feel like you might break. But my God didn’t make me to be broken. He made me to thrive, to live, to love—even though there’s suffering. He designed me, He designed you–He designed us—to be an overcomer. All we have to do is take that next step in front of us.
So, how can we overcome the hard stuff?
- Get on your knees. Settle down before Jesus. Bring your deepest worries and darkest fears to Him. Lay everything on the table before Him. I love how James 4:10 explains it, “Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”
- Dig deep. Get to know yourself in the midst of the craziness circling around you. Ask yourself hard questions. Celebrate your victories. Be confident in who God made you to be and walk in the peace of knowing who you are and whose you are.
- Stand up. Even when it seems impossible, we must stand up and we must step out in faith—we must take our next step on the journey of becoming who God made us to be. Be bold. Be brave. Trust God. Be you. Take the next step.
What step do you need to take to overcome the tough stuff in life? Maybe that step is turning on worship music & singing your heart out. Maybe it’s asking someone for forgiveness. Maybe it’s choosing to forgive someone even though they didn’t ask for it. Maybe it’s ending a relationship. Maybe it’s giving someone a second chance. I don’t know what your suffering looks like today. I don’t know what the weight of it feels like on your heart. I know it’s real. I know it hurts. And I know it’s hard. But I also know God didn’t design us to live in that suffering, in the despair, or in brokenness. He designed us to overcome.
It’s time to take that first step.
