TRIBULATIONS? THEN YOU MAY ACTUALLY BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!

I have spoken to so many people who perceive hardships as punishments. "Why is God allowing this to happen?" they ask, "What did I do wrong??". Hey, I have been there myself. Often! And then, one day, I suddenly wondered: what if I am asking the wrong questions? You see, you are God's most dangerous weapon on earth, and the Devil knows it. He will do everything he can to stop you from becoming what you were destined to be. Now imagine, if he can break your spirit AND have you blame God for it, it means double victory for him!!

The first thing to do is to CHANGE the way we LOOK AT situations. Sickness can be a consequence of sin, but not always. Curses aren't always self-induced! If you have repented of all you know to repent of (😆) and still struggle with hardships, then it is time to opt for a different approach: BLAME THE ENEMY!!

In any given situation of hardship, our human response is most often one of fear, depression, self-pity, blaming God, etc. Yet God has equipped us to have a better response. For instance, He has given us adrenalin to be able to act bold and brave, not for "fear&flight". My mom once jumped a 4-foot fence (wearing high heals!) because the neighbour's baby was in a situation of life and death. And, believe me, my mom is not what I would label as a candidate for a race of hurdles 😬.

God has built superhuman abilities into us for the purpose of DEFEATING THE ENEMY! Yet, instead, we don't make correct use of our abilities, because we do not understand WHO we are, and WHOSE we are!

When our bodies produce high amounts of cortisol and adrenalin as a reaction to feelings of fear, these hormones (that were destined to fuel us) actually harm our bodies and many immune system disorders may ensue from this. Understanding this changed my perception regarding my own health problems. I suddenly wondered: "is my diabetes a result of my sin, or because I lived 7 years in fear of being beaten up by my ex...?"

Don't misunderstand me: we must always examine our hearts and repent of sin BUT, that said and done, there are other roads to explore!

If the devil bugs you, take a stand against him. Jesus said that He has given us authority to TRAMPLE on snakes and scorpions! Stop dwelling in self-pity and defeat. TAKE BACK what the devil has stolen. How? Hours of spiritual warfare? 🤔 Prayer walks? 😟 NOPE! NOT EVEN! Those have there place and purpose, but I have had way better results to obtain victory in my own life by simply SPENDING MORE TIME WITH GOD!

Worship is a powerful, powerful weapon! Reading the Word and pondering on it are soul-cleansing activities that give us enlightenment and direction. And if this sounds like "homework" to you (🙄), it doesn't have to be a burden. It was never MEANT to be a burden! If you are not in the habit of spending time with God, start easy. Take 10 minutes every morning and evening. Read a few verses and think about how you can apply them to your life. Simply talk to God. Take a minute to expressly pray for somebody other than yourself - it's sometimes good to take the focus off of oneself! And don't forget worship! You can sing and dance to God or simply "soak" in His presence while listening to some nice worship songs. Remember that God has created you with YOUR personality. If you aren't big on reading, rather listen to cool teachings. If you aren't big on singing, find the way you LIKE to explore God - it might be hiking and philosophising! God is so creative - He is not limited to only one way of being discovered and explored!

God's Way isn't complicated. His yoke is EASY!

Don't you think it is about time we discovered what Jesus meant by "I have come to give you life more abundantly"...