What to Do When Life Happens

…I came that they may have and enjoy life….John 10:10 (AMPC)

I’ve learned that no matter how much faith we have or how spiritually strong we become, we’ll never completely escape difficult times. And while we’ve discussed some of the reasons why bad things occur, sometimes “life happens” and we may never know why.

Regardless of what has happened—whether it’s a major disappointment or simply a minor irritation—how we respond to it makes all of the difference.

Have you noticed that when life throws you a curve, your thoughts and attitudes immediately start to sink and become negative and sad? But you can interrupt their downfall by choosing to have a good attitude and think positive thoughts based on God’s Word. Positive people are much happier than negative ones.

Many years ago, I was extremely negative. I used to say that if I had two positive thoughts in a row, my mind would cramp. This is an exaggeration, of course, but it reflects the way I viewed myself. I believed, as many people do, that if I didn’t expect anything good to happen, I wouldn’t be disappointed when it didn’t. It won’t surprise you that I was often miserable…and I made others around me miserable.

Jesus says in John 10:10: The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) (AMPC).

Here’s the truth: Everyone goes through difficulties; we all experience disappointments and unforeseen situations. But if we allow ourselves to wallow in the pain too long, it steals the enjoyment of life that God wants us to have.

I want to share a few lessons I’ve learned about maintaining a good attitude when life isn’t going my way:

·Maintain the right attitude and focus on positive things from God’s Word.

·Realize the way you feel at the moment won’t last forever. (I remind myself that “This, too, shall pass.”)

·Stay focused on God’s Goodness and thank Him for the good things in your life.

·Pray and seek God’s Presence at all times. Stay close to Him. He will comfort you and guide you.

·Try to keep your situation in perspective. The way you view your circumstances will determine how you think and feel about them.

·Get your mind off yourself and focus on how you can help others. When you concentrate on making someone else’s life better, it releases joy!

Sometimes we don’t think we can make it through a tough season, but God thinks we can. In fact, He promises us in His Word that He will never allow more to come on us than we can bear as we rely on Him (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Remember, God is Good and He is with you, and it’s important to look beyond what is happening right now to the end result. The Bible says that He works all things for good for those who love Him and are “called according to His plan and purpose” and that what Satan means for harm, God intends for good (Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20).

This is really exciting when you think about it. When the enemy throws trouble at us, all he is really doing is putting us in a position to be blessed if we keep a good attitude during the difficulty!

Life is going to get tough at times, and sometimes we may not even know why. But if we can remain positive and focus on God’s Promises, He will help us to get through it and come out stronger on the other side.

Prayer: “Father, You see everything I’m going through and nothing escapes Your notice. When life is difficult, help me to keep a proper perspective and focus more on what Your Word says than on what’s happening around me. Allow me to remain positive through it all and become an encouragement to others, knowing You will work something good out of every single thing that happens. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”