Living Through Difficult Times
Jeremiah 29:6b-7 (NLT)
Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of Babylon. Pray to the Lord for that city where you were held captive, for if Babylon has peace so will you.
Current events have the potential to leave us bewildered, anxious, exhausted and upset. We don’t always know how to live well through these difficult times and we can’t always muster the energy to do more than our daily basics.
We wouldn’t be alone if we wondered what God was up to. We’re certainly not alone in wondering what to do next. Our world is in the midst of a roll call that keeps calling:
- African American men and women are being killed in the streets and in their homes and we feel anger and dismay;
- Heroes like John Lewis and Chadwick Boseman succumb to cancer and we experience sadness and heartbreak;
- The corona virus numbers continue to increase in various parts of the United States and the world and we feel fear and concern;
- The election season has accentuated divisions between the haves and have nots/ the cares and care nots and we’re frustrated and suspicious;
And, let’s not forget that we were already dealing with “other” life issues before all of these societal and health challenges began.
A news correspondent recently said, “It’s been the worst year ever!” and his interviewee replied, “I can’t wait for this year to be over.” Stop. Wait. That’s a broken response to the current realities. We need the Bible as our guide.
In Jeremiah 29, God’s people were captives in Babylon. Life was difficult with no end in sight for their suffering. God gave Jeremiah a message for the people and told them to “build…plant…eat…marry…multiply!” (verse 6). In fact, God told the people to “plan to stay”. In other words, ‘hunker down, pitch those tents, and live your lives while in your difficult situation because you’ll be here for a while’. And then God told them to “pray”. They were to pray for the city. Prayer would bring peace. If the people were obedient their lives would be restored (verse 10).
It’s in our best interest to recognize that life will be lived differently going forward. God can bring us peace in chaos but we have to participate.
Now is not the time to “dwindle away” (verse 6b). In other words, we can’t afford to throw our hands up, refuse to participate, complain with no action, or decide to let others do the work.
When we don’t know what to do, we need to regain our perspective- the Godly perspective. We are not powerless when life goes haywire.
The most appropriate response for Christians is to:
- Remember that we serve a God who never fails
- Trust that God knows what He's doing
- Maintain a prayerful attitude
- Help others understand who God is
- Limit our exposure to negative messages
- Be determined to live our lives well even when it's hard
We have recourse when we feel like we don’t know what to do. God tells us to live well and pray. We live well through difficult times when we choose to live as faithfully and vibrantly as possible. Congressman John Lewis and Actor Chadwick Boseman got the message. They worked tirelessly to effect the lives of others even as they battled life-threatening illnesses. They’ve given us a modern-day example of how to persevere. But our real example is Christ Himself. He suffered for us and never complained. He had a job to do and that’s all He focused on.
Despite everything, we’re alive and we have the hope of Christ and hope in Christ. We can live well while we deal with difficult realities and we can live like we have life.
Prayer for Difficult Times
Lord,
Thank you for providing examples of how we can live well through difficult times. Without Your guidance and instructions we would make all of the wrong choices and follow the wrong voices. Today, help us to build faithful and vibrant lives in the midst of mind-boggling times.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Live well,
Michele
These are difficult times indeed! Lord, enable me to trust, pray, and turn my perspective heavenward. Let me continue to do the work and represent You well in the midst of all we are faced with daily. Thank you Chele for your encouraging words!
Yes! Thank you for the prayer, Mon.