Life is hard.
Although “hard” is relative and looks different for everyone, this is an inescapable truth to which we can all relate.
Pain. Depression. Grief. Heartache. Anxiety.
These are just a few of the things that can knock us down, hold our attention, instill fear, and test our faith.
There are real reasons to hurt. We as Christians should never minimize that.
But friend, there are equally real reasons to hope.
Maybe today is a dark day for you or someone you love.
Maybe you struggled to get out of bed because the weight of the darkness was too heavy, too powerful.
Maybe you fought through your day with a smile on your face, but your soul feels empty and you have no hope left.
Maybe you feel like the entire world is against you, and that you’ve fallen too far to be loved.
I want to encourage your heart.
Pain is real. Darkness is powerful.
But truth is more powerful still.
Here are three truths to give you hope on the dark days.
1. Today has an end
There have been many days in my life where it felt impossible to keep going. Physical pain would reign in my body and the hope would drain from my heart.
One of my closest friends would often tell me, “just do today.”
This always made me stop and think about how much of my stress and pain was coming from worrying about tomorrow.
The pain seemed unbearable, but the day had an end. If I allowed myself to think about the tomorrows that would be painful as well, the weight became unbearable. If I put the day in perspective, isolating the simple twenty-four hour time period, it seemed less daunting to carry on.
Today has an end. Tomorrow is a new day.
Let this simple truth carry you through.
2. You are not alone
I know just how isolating hard days can be.
Nothing tricks me into believing I am alone faster than pain.
Everyone experiences pain in a unique way, so it is true that no human will ever fully understand what you may be going through.
However, if you are a Christian, you have a loving Savior who knows you intimately and and understands you deeply. He understands your pain and your fears. He understands your struggles and your strife. He has not left you without support.
He has built the church for us to support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. God never changes
It always comforts me to hold on to truth that never changes when everything around me is shifting.
Life is undeniably full of terrifying uncertainties but the anchor to which we cling has never once failed.
What an incredible blessing it is to have a Father God who is so sure. His love for his kids never ceases. His mercy is endless. He is characterized by faithful faithfulness.
If you remember one truth from this post, please, friend, remember this one.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)
If you read this with a broken heart, I pray that this helped you to remember to hope.
If you know anyone who is struggling, I ask you to thoughtfully pass these truths on to them.
Yes, life is hard.
Still, we hope.
