Christian Struggles: How to Overcome: (part five)
Our Struggles Are Minimized By Serving Others.
Living our faith by serving others, we gain perspectives on our own struggles.
Faith is not just something we believe—it’s something we live.
As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We show His love to the world through our actions. This means embodying His teachings in our everyday interactions, promoting kindness and compassion in all that we do.
By serving others, we can make a profound impact. We show that faith is not merely a set of beliefs but a lifestyle characterized by love, grace, and mercy. Our daily decisions and relationships reflect our spiritual convictions, urging us to be messengers of hope. We brighten the lives of others, and that same light brightens our lives as well.
We Serve As A Way to Manage Our Struggles
When we face struggles, it’s easy to ignore the suffering of those around us. In the midst of our chaos, we can become so enveloped in our own challenges that we forget the weight others bear. One of the best ways to manage our own struggles is to step outside of ourselves. Helping others in their own battles can be incredibly rewarding. Haven’t you noticed that when you face something tough, and you help someone else, you begin to forget your own tough times? Even if it’s just for a moment, it makes a difference.
Acts of kindness can give us more than just a momentary distraction. They can shift our perspective. They remind us that we are not alone in our suffering. Engaging with others can lift our spirits and offer a fresh outlook on our own problems. If nothing else, it gives our minds a little reprieve from incessantly thinking. Most of us tend to overanalyze our difficulties. Perhaps, we would be better served by simply taking a step back. Letting ourselves breathe for a moment could help.
Don’t Have To Figure It Out Ourselves.
Many times, people fall into the trap of trying to figure it all out on their own. But maybe, just maybe, if we gave our minds a rest and invited God into our decision-making, we’d find ourselves in a more peaceful and clearer mindset. I’m not suggesting we do nothing and expect God to handle everything for us. Hardly.
Life requires action, effort, and intention. Yet, there’s a profound strength in knowing when to act and when to trust. We can actively seek answers while at the same time letting God ultimately decide the right path. It’s a delicate balance—a dance between faith and action. Through this process, we can cultivate resilience and empathy, not just for ourselves, but for those we meet on our journey. By helping others, we grow in understanding and compassion, finding healing along the way.
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:17
Real-Life Reflection:
Michael felt a nudge to start volunteering at a local shelter, even though he didn’t feel particularly qualified. He felt out of place among people different from him.
But soon he found that underneath his facade, he wasn’t much different than the others. He found himself embracing relationships with those much different than him. He found he could learn from their experiences and was humbled by their stories of survival.
Michael discovered a deeper sense of purpose and connection with God. His faith came alive. He saw how small acts of kindness could make a big impact. These acts affected not just others but himself as well.
He made visiting the homeless shelters a weekly part of his life. He even met his wife there, which was a story in itself he loved to share.
Devotional Questions:
- How can you live out your faith in practical ways?
- What opportunities do you have to serve others in your community?
- How does serving others deepen your relationship with God?
Conclusion:
It’s a fact of life, Christians struggle. I don’t know a single Christian who hasn’t suffered trials. Throughout history, many have died for their faith. We must acknowledge our humanness in order to live our faith. So when our struggles inevitably come, we are not as shell-shocked as we could be. It’s not that we look for problems around every corner, but that our first response is to turn to God.
God bless, and have a great day.
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A great site for upcycling lots of stuff
This is perhaps one of the most helpful sites ever. It’s a lot of reading and no pictures but when you’ve got some time, be sure to check it out. This site is packed with great ideas. Only problem is if I start saving more than I’m saving now, my hubby is going to throw me Read more
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Why “me” is a really good word
Remember I said I was going to spend time on me? I did. I spent time this past week-end with some of my favorite people. Being around people we love is always good for the soul. but so many times we let life weight us down us with the “have-to’s” never realizing that spending time with Read more
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Hope you’re not getting inundated
Is anyone getting a huge amount of links from me? It would look like this. A follower is getting individual links, lots of them, from a post earlier this week. If you are, I apologize. It shouldn’t have happened. God bless and I hope you have a good day. Discover more from goodthoughtsgoodlives Subscribe to Read more
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A great site for upcycling lots of stuff
This is perhaps one of the most helpful sites ever. It’s a lot of reading and no pictures but when you’ve got some time, be sure to check it out. This site is packed with great ideas. Only problem is if I start saving more than I’m saving now, my hubby is going to throw me Read more
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How to abolish strongholds in our spiritual life.
(I’m using the new posting method and accidentally hit “publish” but then a cool little button came up that said “revert to draft” so I hit that. Don’t know if it worked or not. So you may have had this post last night. I apologize.) Do you have strongholds in your spiritual life? You know, Read more
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the week in review and thank goodness it’s over
The last part of this week took a down-turn. I’m hoping by the time you read this, I won’t feel like I’m carrying a bowling ball in my gut. However, the week didn’t start off bad because I wrote some good “stuff” about humility on Monday and Tuesday. (I liked it anyway :)) Wednesday I tempted you by writing Read more
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Yesterday I posted about some great make-up finds. But I had a severe, and I do mean severe, IBS attack. and apparently didn’t let the computer update the post with the pictures of the products. I was on the sofa until late yesterday afternoon. So I updated it but just in case you didn’t get the update, Read more
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