The world encourages us to develop coping skills. God wants us to do more than cope. He offers us strategies to express our faith, strengthen our joy, and promote righteousness in the world. For every situation, we have the Way. How can Christians deal with difficulties?

1. Trust the word of God in every way. Satan wants us to feel that Scripture has nothing for us, but everything we need for our walk, worship, and work is in the Bible. “I trust in your word” Psalm 119.42 NET. No situation calls for laying aside the word of God. It has both answers and power for the difficult moment we’re living.

2. Own up to your feelings. Denial intensifies them. Cain failed to deal with his anger and killed his brother, Genesis 4. Express your emotions in prayer, admitting them to God. He can handle them. Write it down, if necessary. Use many of the Psalms as models or their words to express your thoughts. Recognize, too, that emotions do not represent reality, but only our inner state based on our momentary, limited evaluation. “How do I feel?” is a great question, but ultimately we must move on to ask, “What must I do?” In the garden, Jesus admitted that he felt anguish: “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” Matthew 26.38 NLT. Then he went willingly to die on the cross. Continue reading “10 faith strategies for every situation”