Have you ever thought of life as being unfair? This is especially after having observed faithful Christians facing setback after setback, and non-believers enjoying seemingly better lives. A common response to this thought is that God did not promise that life would be a bed of roses. In Matthew 5:45, it is written that God “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth the rain on the just and on the unjust.”
However, let us remember that no matter what happens to us, the difference between Christians and non-believers lies in that Jesus has promised us that He will be with us always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). Hence, we need not spiral into despair, nor be resigned to life. We may be at the lowest point in life, and yet feel no fear, because we know that God is ever present, to guide and comfort us (Psalms 23:4). It is so reassuring to know that God is with us in life. God even promises that He will go before us, be with us and never fail us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
To overcome any obstacle in life, we can draw encouragement from 2 Timothy 1:7, where it is written: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
A) There is Power in the Word of God.
We can see the power in Jeremiah 23:29, as the word of God is described as a fire and a hammer that can break the rock in pieces. We need to have that power to survive in life, and to overcome challenges in life. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” God’s people were destroyed for lack of knowledge because they have rejected God’s knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Without the knowledge from the word of God, we do not know God’s commandments to help us to overcome obstacles in life. As the scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), we can know His will, and do good works to bring glory to His name. The word of God is also known as the seed in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9). This seed needs to have good soil that has ears to hear, to grow, and to bear fruits. We need to study the word of God diligently so that it can grow in us day by day. With the power of the word of God growing in our hearts, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
B) With Love, We can Keep His Commandments (John 14:15)
We are commanded to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are also to love one another (John 13:34). Jesus has commanded us to love our enemies as well (Matthew 5:44). This might seem difficult to do in life. It is only God’s love which can produce such great love in us. With God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). With our love for God, we are able to put our trust in God, who is almighty and all powerful, to overcome the toughest temptations and sufferings in life.
c) With the Power from the Word of God and the Love of God, We are Able to Achieve a Sound Mind.
No matter what challenges we encounter in life, we are to focus on Jesus, submit ourselves completely to our almighty God, and bear the fruit of the spirit. In fact, self-control is one part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Let us control the self by letting go of the self, by letting God take control of our lives, and by casting our anxieties on God, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We need to trust in our Lord, who is all knowing and good to us, wait for Him and seek Him (Lamentations 3:25).
With God’s blessings, we are to equip ourselves with the power, love and a sound mind that God has promised us to help us face life’s challenges. We are to trust God and not be afraid of what man can do unto us (Psalms 56:11). We are not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; instead, we ought to fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). We are to fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man (Ecclesiastes 12:13). With God, all things are well!