Finding Peace Through Life's Problems

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."”John 16:33 Do you ever feel like life is one problem after another?You make it through one issue, but before you can recover another one shoots up. Like shoveling sand with a pitch fork, unwanted, persistent, and relentless...ugh!Whether the problems are self-inflicted or no fault of our own, life has a way of hitting hard and sometimes out of nowhere. The question we need to ask is; what are we going to do when that happens? How can we prepare ourselves to respond appropriately and prevent a negative reaction? We live in a broken world, and broken things don’t function as they should. That’s the bad news. The good news is we can have peace regardless of our trials if we put our trust in Jesus. Why? Because He has overcome the broken world. Nothing hits Him out of nowhere or takes Him by surprise. He is a trustworthy guide who is more than able to navigate us to our destination, while at the same time turning all things (including our problems and pain) around for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Many people feel stuck in the trenches of their pain when they do not see that the only way out is through. Rather than fixing their eyes on Jesus and moving forward, they fixate on the problem, stall out, and stay in a bad place longer than they should. They become addicted to their sadness and lose the drive to improve because their pain has become a part of their identity. Don’t let that be said of you. Like the challenges I’ve faced and continue to face in my life, I pray you find the strength to keep moving forward, never letting up, focusing on Jesus. He is your answer. Be Nice. Grace wins.