Like all kids our youngest daughter does NOT like to get her shots. However, it was time for her to get her next round of vaccinations and she was terrified. Remember her last experience, she dreaded the day she was scheduled to get her shot. My wife and I assured her if she was just tough she could get through it and it would be over before she knew it. I wasn’t able to be there the day of her shots but my wife said she took it like a champ! She didn’t even flinch at all unlike the last time when we had to hold her down for her safety. Later that night I took her on a date and asked her how she was so tough. She said, “It was easy, I just closed my eyes and pullout out my muscles like this…” Then she flexed her body and gave me a body builder pose.

As I thought about her courage I couldn’t help but think this is exactly how we should respond to life’s tough circumstances. As we all know life throws us curve balls in the form of bricks at times. Unfortunately we can’t control what happens to us, but rest assure we can ALWAYS choose how we let it affect us. My daughter chose to close her eyes and pull out her muscles to get through her battle, will you do the same?

When we face hard times in life the Bible encourages us to “Stand firm in faith.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

So how do we get through hard times in life…

1. Be on Your Guard

Being on guard means that you are sober and alert about what is happening. Many times we become hypnotized by fear in our situations. We get in a trance of confusion, bitterness, hopelessness, and frustration. This causes us to lose focus on our faith and trust in God. When we allow life’s circumstances to control us we can easily let our guard down. When our guard is down we are vulnerable to attack. The word fear comes from the Old English word faer, meaning sudden ambush or attack. When our guard is up we can block the attack of fear from defeating us.

2. Stand Firm In The Faith

Standing firm is about planting your feet on solid rock and to not be swayed. We must stand on faith and trust that God is bigger than our circumstances. To stand firm is to get a strong footing. When we have a strong footing on the Word of God and His promises we can stand on those promises. We need not be tossed to and fro by the winds of life. We can be secure in our faith that God will do what He said He will do. He will accomplish that which He said He will accomplish. We can’t allow our lives to be swayed by life’s circumstances. Remember we walk by faith not by sight as followers of Jesus.

3. Be Courageous; Be Strong

Our daughter had to “pull our her muscles” as she stated it. So we have to pull out our spiritual muscles and be courageous in the midst of hard times. We cannot retreat in doubt and fear, we must forge ahead in faith and confidence in our God. It is not our strength that we stand with, it is our trust in God’s strength that we stand with. It is not our ability that changes things, it is our faith in God’s ability that changes things. To be courageous is to trust God. Theologian Karl Barth said, “Courage is fear that has said it’s prayers.” Pull out your spiritual muscles and speak with boldness that God is in control no matter what HAPPENS!