Tough situations are not peculiar to the human experience. We all find ourselves in them from time to time, but for some people, their entire life is one. There are people in tough situations that are no one’s fault. Health has failed them or someone dear to them, so their entire world has been rocked. They have been diagnosed with something that will eventually claim their physical bodies. That’s tough. They didn’t choose this, nor did their loved one, but it happened. 

There are economically tough situations. Times where the economy takes a hit and so does your 401k. That’s not your fault, those are factors beyond your control. And it is tough! Job loss strikes your home and now the sole bread-winner has no flour for the pan. You didn’t choose it, but it happened. 

There are people in tough situations because of someone else’s choice. Their spouse left them for another; a child rejects the faith, a parent becomes distant, or even a congregational issue of some kind. That’s tough. The hurt and pain that comes from a dissolved marriage. The agony of a child who loses their way. The heartache of an uninterested parent. The struggles within a local church family. These can be daunting, overwhelming, and discouraging. They are tough situations. 

Someone is going through one of these life-changing tough situations at any moment of any given day. You likely interact with a person regularly who is in the most challenging chapter of their life. Be patient. Be kind. Be encouraging. Be loving. Be there. Be salt and light (Mt. 5:13-16) and do what you can to show them Jesus. 

If you are in that life-altering situation, remember it doesn’t last forever. It is a chapter of your story, not the book. It may be difficult, feel unending, or overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to define you. Let it refine you instead. And remember, God cares (1 Pet. 5:7). 

In Joshua chapter one, Israel had just lost their patriarch Moses and was about to begin the conquest of Canaan. They were in a tough situation. But they found comfort in the promises of God. God told them, “I will not leave you nor forsake you…” “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9) That promise should still comfort us, as the Hebrew writer repeats, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). We don’t need to be anxious and fearful about the tough situations of this life. We serve a tough God who wants to help us handle it. May we shout it loud and clear despite the circumstances: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear. What shall man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6).