We live in a world built on capitalism, taught to believe that reward is the answer to happiness. Because of it, both ownership and security are given as the answers to all our woes.
Miseries in life could be in many forms. Some of us lived on it day by day, and it seemed there could be no end to it. Miseries could also be traced from our roots and have been passed down to us. Here are a few of the sufferings one is experiencing in their life.
Miseries of being teenagers. There have been those people who constantly whine about their life. This attitude is the most significant disease coursing through developed countries for teenagers. Drug addiction, alcoholism, suicides, AIDS, sex, and fornication are just a few on the list. Another hidden disease that haunts Generation X is a deficit of positive energy. This shortfall can be seen in the music they listen to (Think about how many of those bands sing about how low their self-esteem is!), the number of drugs, alcohol, sex, gang wars they put into our systems, and the violence in our society that is.
Misery of discontentment. It can be a container of certain condiments, one of which is discontent. Some people, no matter how much they have, always want more. That might not seem so bad, except when they get more, they want even more. It is like a constant outpouring of liquid into a basket. It keeps draining away until there is nothing, just nothing. Discontent leaves the heart in a most undesirable state, constantly hungry for things that don’t matter in the general scheme of things.
The misery of being rejected. I don’t know anyone who wants the feeling of being left. I know it has probably been one of the most complex feelings. Rejection penetrates even to the core of who we are as human beings. Of all the emotions we can experience, it is probably one of the most destructive and hurtful emotions we can feel. Some people may be more sensitive to rejection than others. I happen to be one of those people who, having suffered rejection early in life, carried a lot of that baggage into adulthood with me, and it is unpleasant and undesirable.
For some, to address miseries in life is to have positive thinking that leads us to success. One who thinks that he can achieve things will put his best to achieve, will not be fooled by the problems on the path to success, and will win positively one day. Self-confidence, determination, perseverance, and hard work are the critical factors of success.
However, I believe that there is a better move that one can do than having positive thinking and confidence in ourselves. There is more! The most important thing one will do is to turn to God. Return to our first love! Which is GOD.
Trusting God in Our Daily Lives
If we trust someone, we feel at ease being open with them about anything. God is much more dependable and reliable than even our most trustworthy friend. When things feel so hard for us, He doesn’t ask us to keep those feelings to ourselves. Because God loves us, we can trust Him by talking about all our senses and circumstances with Him — the good and hard — through meditation. Don’t let our emotions rule our life; bring them to God so He can help us address them. God is not frustrated or disappointed by our struggles, doubts, or pain. He cares about us, and we can trust Him with those things. Here are some practical ways to trust God in our everyday life:
Seek Truth in Scripture
Scripture is God’s Word. God knows we need someone to go to when we feel unsure. That is His Word. It is entirely trustworthy and unchanging. We need a strong foundation of Scripture to stand on, especially when we feel uncertain. The Bible is God’s unchanging, unfailing Word. We can cling to its truth when life throws us a curveball.
There are some inspirational and spiritual books like “God Cares, But Do We?” authored by Kwaku Mensah that we could consider. The book will guide us to find a solution to our problems and get ourselves back on track. God is the only higher power that can help us, and all He needs in return is our faith in His plan and love. We all are God’s creation, and it is our steadfast faith that He is the only one we ever need to make our life better.
Share Your Concerns With Your Community
We are not facing these difficult times alone. Our God is always with us every step of the way. He also gives us faithful people to walk with. Paul was a follower and a disciple of Christ, and a leader in the early church. He shared this with the fellow believer as an encouragement.
“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” -Philemon 1:6, NLT.
Fellow believers can remind us of God’s characteristics through encouragement and accountability. They can remind us of the truth when we struggle and pray for and support us. The believers remind us that we are never alone, even in hard times.
Remember God and Spend Time With Him
God is more significant than our problems. Tough times may feel like they last forever, but they are short-term and nonpermanent. God is present in bad times as well as the good. He is always faithful. God wants us to go to Him with our circumstances. He also wants us to come to Him to spend time with Him. We should not let our events shape our relationship with God. God can shape our view of our situations. Spend time with God. Devoting a consistent time with the Lord when things feel good will help us continue going to Him when things feel rough. It’s never too late and futile to start if we have not established that.
Ultimately, miseries are an integral part of our lives. But the question is, How long can we keep struggling and battling them? Instead, return and have faith in God because He is the only one who can provide us joy even in our problems.
The Happy Hammock 