There are many bad things that happen in life. A promising athlete suddenly ends his career with a debilitating accident; a wife tells her husband she doesn’t love him anymore and wants a divorce; your house burns down; your family is killed in an automobile crash. Tragedies occur everyday to someone, and sooner or later to me. What should we do?
We must strengthen our faith in God. What ever the tragedy, trauma or trou-ble, with God’s help, we can make something good come from it. We must believe in Him and in His promises. (Heb.11:6; Rom.8:28; Matt.6:33; Eph.3:20; Phil.4:19) Our faith is strengthened when we read, study and meditate on God’s word. (Rom.10:17) Prayer also strengthens our faith. (Matt.21:22; I John 5:14,15) We must never forget that God is in control, and He has promised to never forsake us. (Heb.13:5,6)
We must depend on each other. We do not have to bear the burdens of life alone. (Gal.6:2) When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it….(I Cor.12:26) We are to “weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who re-joice.” (Rom. 12:15) Of course, this is in reference to other members of the body of Christ, but it would apply to anyone who is faced with hardships. (Gal.6:10) This places a responsibility upon those who suffer to seek the aid of those who can help, as well as on those who have the means by which they can help those who suf-fer. Helping involves both giving and receiving, and when both are done, both par-ties are blessed.
We must never give up. Tragedy or failure need not be fatal. Every cloud has a silver lining. Following the rain we see the sun and the rainbow. So many have tired in trying. Quitters never win, and winners never quit. From a Roman prison cell, the apostle Paul wrote, “…For I have learned in whatever state I am, to be con-tent. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil.4:11-13) Many have quit when success was just around the corner. When the odds are against you, and you have failed time and again, always try one more time. Never, never, never quit.
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