Have you ever had one of those days? I’m talking about one of those days when everything seems to be going against you. A day when the breakfast gets over cooked because you were in a hurry from over sleeping. A day when the button breaks on the shirt you took the cleaners. A day when you discover your child had homework they did not tell you about. A day when your hair has a mind of its own. I am referring to days when trials pound you one after the other.
There are days in this life when there are more trials than triumphs and more tears than celebrations. How do you handle the days when a routine doctor’s visit lands you in the hospital with a serious medical condition you did not previously know you had that has life long implications? How do you face the daily grind of emotional hurt inflicted on you by one you love so deeply and by one who professes to love you in return? How are you to cope with the stresses of financial pressures that mount each month as you walk the tight line of paying your bills on time and dealing with unexpected expenses?
Let’s face it. There are days when enduring the daily grind takes a physical and emotional toll. The Bible even has answers for days like that. First, the Bible tells us plainly that such days will occur from time to time. [Ps 30:5] “His anger is for a moment but his favor is for a lifetime, weeping may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning.” [Jn 16:33] “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have overcome the world.” Did you catch those two verses? There will be nights of weeping. In this world there will be days of suffering. As long as we live there will be those kinds of days.
How do we manage days and seasons when everything appears to be going against us? I would like to offer two suggestions taken from [Jn 16:33]. The first is to take what I call the long view of life. What I mean is that many of those bad days and seemingly insurmountable trials if they were looked at through the lens of an entire life time would not seem like such a big deal. When we are having bad days, enduring nights of weeping, or trudging through days of suffering, we can lose perspective and hope. The headache might seem like it will never end but it does eventually. The bad day fades into night and we get the chance at a fresh start with the dawn of the morning. Children grow up, sport seasons come to an end, and the bills get paid. The long view for the Christian includes the fact that God’s mercies are new every morning. [Lamentations 3:22-23] Each and every day God stands ready to pour out fresh mercies and blessings for each day. Taking the long view also reminds us that our trials are temporary though they may seem like they will never end. When I take the long view I know that bad days don’t last forever. As a Christian even if all my days are bad days on this earth I know that better days await me in eternity. The long view of not only life but of eternity tells me that better days will surely come if keep trusting and waiting.
The second reminder I would offer is that Jesus told us in [Jn 16:33] that in Him we would have peace or tranquility. This peace that He is talking about does not come through the rituals of empty religion but through relationship with Him. To say it another way this peace does not come from merely attending church but through being connected in a day to day walk with Jesus which starts at the moment of salvation. When Jesus is not only our Savior but also our partner in all of life, His peace, His calmness of mind and His tranquility of soul can help us not just endure but even conquer bad days and bad seasons. It is a matter of trusting even when we can’t see the light of joy which comes in the morning after the long night of weeping.
Regardless of how this day is turning out I encourage you to take the long view and find peace in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Bad days will not seem so bad anymore when you have Jesus’ perspective and His peace.
There are days in this life when there are more trials than triumphs and more tears than celebrations. How do you handle the days when a routine doctor’s visit lands you in the hospital with a serious medical condition you did not previously know you had that has life long implications? How do you face the daily grind of emotional hurt inflicted on you by one you love so deeply and by one who professes to love you in return? How are you to cope with the stresses of financial pressures that mount each month as you walk the tight line of paying your bills on time and dealing with unexpected expenses?
Let’s face it. There are days when enduring the daily grind takes a physical and emotional toll. The Bible even has answers for days like that. First, the Bible tells us plainly that such days will occur from time to time. [Ps 30:5] “His anger is for a moment but his favor is for a lifetime, weeping may endure for a night but joy will come in the morning.” [Jn 16:33] “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have overcome the world.” Did you catch those two verses? There will be nights of weeping. In this world there will be days of suffering. As long as we live there will be those kinds of days.
How do we manage days and seasons when everything appears to be going against us? I would like to offer two suggestions taken from [Jn 16:33]. The first is to take what I call the long view of life. What I mean is that many of those bad days and seemingly insurmountable trials if they were looked at through the lens of an entire life time would not seem like such a big deal. When we are having bad days, enduring nights of weeping, or trudging through days of suffering, we can lose perspective and hope. The headache might seem like it will never end but it does eventually. The bad day fades into night and we get the chance at a fresh start with the dawn of the morning. Children grow up, sport seasons come to an end, and the bills get paid. The long view for the Christian includes the fact that God’s mercies are new every morning. [Lamentations 3:22-23] Each and every day God stands ready to pour out fresh mercies and blessings for each day. Taking the long view also reminds us that our trials are temporary though they may seem like they will never end. When I take the long view I know that bad days don’t last forever. As a Christian even if all my days are bad days on this earth I know that better days await me in eternity. The long view of not only life but of eternity tells me that better days will surely come if keep trusting and waiting.
The second reminder I would offer is that Jesus told us in [Jn 16:33] that in Him we would have peace or tranquility. This peace that He is talking about does not come through the rituals of empty religion but through relationship with Him. To say it another way this peace does not come from merely attending church but through being connected in a day to day walk with Jesus which starts at the moment of salvation. When Jesus is not only our Savior but also our partner in all of life, His peace, His calmness of mind and His tranquility of soul can help us not just endure but even conquer bad days and bad seasons. It is a matter of trusting even when we can’t see the light of joy which comes in the morning after the long night of weeping.
Regardless of how this day is turning out I encourage you to take the long view and find peace in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Bad days will not seem so bad anymore when you have Jesus’ perspective and His peace.
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