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What to do When Going Through a Rough Time, part 1 of 4

All of us have a rough day here or there and most of us can feel it coming on. If we work hard at it, we can keep our spirit on track until we get through the day. There are times when things will happen or change in our lives that make us feel we are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. When these times come, we have to have a plan on how to get through these weeks, months or even years.

Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” When the rough times come, our spirit is one of the first things affected. Sometimes we know our spirit and attitude stinks and that it needs to be corrected. It’s a good sign that we notice this immediately, but our spirit won’t change or feel calm until we work on it. Sometimes someone is the kind of person who has always been a happy and easy going person. Trials or burdens can change their life completely, and all of a sudden they decide to police everyone else so they aren’t dwelling on their own problems. They don’t observe how sharp they appear to others, and almost give you the feeling that because they are going through a rough time and don’t feel the happiest, they in return have to make everyone else feel frustrated and unhappy with life. Making sure everyone else is abiding by the rules won’t change how others see you or change your spirit. If you are always worrying about the problems, complaining or allowing them to affect your spirit, you are only pulling down those around you whether or not you realize what you’re truly doing.

Here are some steps that will help guide you to protect your spirit through the rough times.

1. Realize that God has not given you more than you can bear.

I Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Though your problem may seem big and overwhelming, you must realize that God has promised you that He will not place more on you than what you are able to carry.

Apparently God has enough confidence in you to allow you to carry your burden. You should take solace in the fact that God trusts you this much. Because God trusts you enough to carry the load that you are carrying, don’t let Him down. Realize He believes that you can carry your load.

2. Daily ask for God’s grace for your spirit.

When Paul was carrying his burden, three times he asked God if He would remove his burden. God responded to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when He said, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” God was telling Paul that the only way he would be able to bear his burden was through His grace.