3 Scriptures on Facing Life’s Battles
Life is full of adversity. We face battles every day. Conflict at home brings battles. Jobs bring stress and conflict. What’s more, even within our own selves we face battles as we struggle with self doubt and the challenge to pursue what is good for us rather than go down self destructive paths. We hope these scriptures on facing life’s battles will help encourage you in these struggles.
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“The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,”
Israel was reminded that the battles they faced might be bigger than them, but that God was bigger than the battles they faced. They were encouraged to look forward and backward. First, they should look forward in faith and hope believing that God would be with them and that God’s presence would help them overcome their struggles. But it doesn’t stop here.
Next, they were encouraged to look back. They could look back on what God had already done in order to be encouraged in their present situation. For Israel this meant remembering what God had done in Israel. As Christians we can look back on what God has already done in our lives. If we are new to following God we can find encouragement in hearing stories from other believers and from the Bible.
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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
When facing life’s battles it is natural to feel anxious but Paul encourages a different approach. He offers this advice so that we might experience peace instead of anxiety. Pray.
It seems so simple, but does it really work? Paul’s promise is that when we bring our anxieties to God He will guard our hearts and minds and bring us peace. We aren’t promised guaranteed results or promised to win all of life’s battles. We are promised, that God will be with us and bring us peace.
Next time you are in the midst of a battle give it a try. Pause, breathe deeply, then share with God your worry, anxiety, or anger. Share your request and see if your burden grows a little lighter.
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“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
One of the most surprising things about Christianity is the belief that God would use suffering for good. In a world that promises escape from suffering Christianity stands out. Jesus wasn’t afraid of it but willingly faced death on a cross. This wasn’t because he enjoyed suffering, but in order to bring life to all. It was through suffering that God’s love was showed most clearly and that God brought about redemption.
This is true for all who follow Jesus. Simply avoiding life’s battles isn’t the path to a good life. We don’t need to chase suffering, but we know that we don’t have to fear it either because God can use it for good. Often we grow in character and in love not by avoiding life’s battles, but through them.
Putting these Scriptures on Facing Life's Battles into Practice
In conclusion, we hope these scriptures on facing life’s battles will help give you a battle plan to follow. Next time you face life’s battles we encourage you to remember what God has done and know that God is with you. We invite you bring your anxiety to God in prayer and experience his peace. And lastly, we ask you to consider how God might be using this struggle or battle to build your character and allow you to love others more deeply.
If you are in the Conyers area we invite you to join us for our Prayer+Worship Service centered around the theme of facing life’s battles on November 10 at 6:00 PM. We will come together to find hope and encouragement in facing life’s battles.
