{"id":4922,"date":"2020-07-01T19:11:21","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T19:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wpmu.azurewebsites.net\/nlt\/?p=4922"},"modified":"2021-12-08T09:19:15","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T09:19:15","slug":"what-does-the-bible-say-about-5-challenges-many-are-facing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/2020\/07\/01\/what-does-the-bible-say-about-5-challenges-many-are-facing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does the Bible Say About 5 Challenges Many Are Facing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We are living through some crazy times: pandemics, political unrest, we’ve even had Saharan Desert sand storms in the U.S. It’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed and keep asking “what’s next?” When we’re backed against a wall, exhausted, and not sure who to trust we can easily fall into traps of despair. We’re going to use the HelpFinder Bible <\/em>to find out what the Bible says about 5 common responses during times of confusion and pain. This is not an exhaustive study, but a good start to find out what God’s Word says about being angry, when we’re anxious, living in fear, dealing with grief, and how to respond when we are called to love those we don’t like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anger<\/strong>: Anger is a fire that burns and consumes\u2014smoldering, flaming, at times white hot. Anger is passion. Of all emotions, it may well be the most passionate, for it has the power to fuel hatred and smother love. Anger itself is not necessarily bad; it is not necessarily wrong. God himself gets angry. What we need to consider is the object of our anger, the motive for our anger, and the outcome of our anger. Anger that is self-righteous, protects our pride, is self-centered, or demands its own way is dangerous. If allowed to continue unchecked, it will consume us. This kind of anger seeks harm and revenge; it seeks to destroy. Thus it can lead to bitterness and hatred, emotions that can cause violent behavior and obliterate compassion and forgiveness. God\u2019s anger, however, is directed against sin and unrighteousness. He blazes hot against evil. His anger, like ours, becomes a consuming fire, but its focus is to eradicate the sin so that the sinner can be restored. Our anger often consumes others and even ourselves; God\u2019s anger burns against evil and becomes a cleansing fire. The fires of our anger may aggravate our sinfulness and self-righteousness. His anger burns away sinfulness and allows the \u201cgold\u201d to emerge and make us fit for the Master\u2019s use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all get angry at times, so what should we do about it?<\/strong>
\u2022 EPHESIANS 4:26-27 | And \u201cdon\u2019t sin by letting anger control you.\u201d Don\u2019t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Anger is like a skunk in the house. Don\u2019t feed it to encourage it to stay. And carefully try to get rid of it as soon as possible.<\/em>
\u2022 MATTHEW 5:21-23 | \u201cYou have heard that our ancestors were told, \u2018You must not murder.\u2019. . . But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! . . . Go and be reconciled to that person.\u201d
Confront those you are angry with in order to restore your relationship.<\/em>
\u2022 1 CORINTHIANS 13:5 | [Love] is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
Love is the mightiest weapon in overcoming anger.<\/em>
\u2022 PROVERBS 11:29 | Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
\u2022 EPHESIANS 6:4 | Do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them.
To knowingly provoke your family to anger weakens the binding force\u2014love\u2014that bonds your family together. The control you seek actually enslaves you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anxiety<\/strong>: Pressures in our lives can build and pull us in different directions. These pressures pull against our sense of well-being, and anxiety begins to overwhelm us. Trying to do too much work with too little time or too few resources can stretch us beyond our capacity. Trying to cope with the financial demands of life without adequate income can make us begin to feel desperate. Difficulties in marital relationships, in parent-child relationships, or in work relationships can lead to deep anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. What is the answer? We need a perspective that comes from God. And we also need the help of wise counselors and friends who God can use to bring us his presence, wisdom, and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can I do when I\u2019m overwhelmed by anxiety?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 2 CORINTHIANS 4:9 | We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Keep going! Knowing that God is by your side during times of anxiety can help you to keep<\/em> from giving up.<\/em>
\u2022 PSALM 55:22 | Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
\u2022 ISAIAH 41:10 | \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid, for I am with you. Don\u2019t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.\u201d
\u2022 PSALM 62:2 | He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.
\u2022 JOHN 14:1 | \u201cDon\u2019t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.\u201d
\u2022 HEBREWS 2:18 | Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.
\u2022 PHILIPPIANS 2:4 | Don\u2019t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
The first step in dealing with your anxiety is to bring it to the Lord. Only he brings true peace of heart and mind. God\u2019s availability and promises provide effective stress reducers.<\/em>
\u2022 2 SAMUEL 22:7 | But in my distress I cried out to the Lord. . . . He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.
\u2022 PSALM 86:7 | I will call to you whenever I\u2019m in trouble, and you will answer me.
Be persistent in prayer.<\/em>
\u2022 MARK 6:31 | Then Jesus said, \u201cLet\u2019s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.\u201d
He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn\u2019t even have time to eat. Take time to slow down and take a break from pressure-packed situations.<\/em>
\u2022 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 | Don\u2019t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Take care of your body. Adequate rest, regular exercise, and proper nutrition are essential<\/em> to dealing effectively with stress and anxiety.<\/em>
\u2022 GALATIANS 6:9 | So let\u2019s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don\u2019t give up.
Don\u2019t let stress and anxiety defeat you. When you are tired of doing good, it may be because you are just too tired.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fear: <\/strong>Fears are real and natural, at times more real than that which we fear. Fears may leave us feeling unsettled and insecure, doubting our self-worth, having sleep problems or health problems, and worrying about how tomorrow will treat us. The issues that we want settled are simple\u2014how do we avoid fear when we can, how do we live with it when we must, and what can we learn from it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can I do when I am overcome with fear? How do I find the strength to go on?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 PSALM 46:1-2 | God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.
\u2022 JOHN 14:27 | \u201cI am leaving you with a gift\u2014peace of mind and heart. . . . So don\u2019t be troubled or afraid.\u201d
God promises to comfort us in our fear if we seek him when we are afraid. We have the confident assurance that he is with us in any circumstance.<\/em>
\u2022 DEUTERONOMY 31:6 | \u201cBe strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.\u201d
Remind yourself that God is always with you. Your situation may be genuinely threatening, but God has not abandoned you, and he promises to stay with you. Even if your situation is so bad that it causes death, God has not left you but has instead ushered you into his very presence.<\/em>
\u2022 EPHESIANS 1:3 | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.
Remind yourself that no enemy or adversity can take away your most important blessings\u2014the forgiveness God gave you for your sins, your relationship with him, and your eternal salvation. These remain secure even when your world falls apart.<\/em>
\u2022 REVELATION 22:5 | And there will be no night there\u2014no need for lamps or sun\u2014for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Remind yourself that as a Christian, your destiny is victory! Present hardships and heartaches are temporary. You can go forward with the confidence that you are on the winning side.<\/em>
\u2022 PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 | Don\u2019t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God\u2019s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Pray with a thankful heart, asking God to give you what you need to deal with your fear. Peace is not the absence of fear but the conquest of fear. Peace is not running away but overcoming.<\/em>
\u2022 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Fear presents an opportunity for you to develop greater faith as you call upon the power of God to help you.<\/em>
\u2022 GENESIS 26:7 | When the men who lived there asked Isaac about his wife, Rebekah, he said, \u201cShe is my sister.\u201d He was afraid to say, \u201cShe is my wife.\u201d
\u2022 JOSHUA 17:16 | \u201cBut all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots. . . . They are too strong for us.\u201d
Fear must not keep you from doing the things you know are right. You are not meant to live in fear.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grief:<\/strong> Grief comes from suffering, discomfort, confusion, restlessness, pain, heartache, and usually with plenty of tears. Some grief, like losing a loved one, can be understood only by those who have walked that dark valley before. Grief is like a deep pit. It tortures our soul and robs us of the joy of living. But there is a great theme in the Bible\u2014that although we walk through the valley of the shadow, there can be comfort and hope, as long as God is with us. He doesn\u2019t spare us from grief in this life, but he does help us through it. And ultimately, he helps us overcome it for all eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I deal with loss in my life?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 JOHN 11:35 | Then Jesus wept.
Don\u2019t deny your loss. Great grief is the result of great love. The tears of Jesus at Lazarus\u2019s death forever validate our tears of grief.<\/em>
\u2022 GENESIS 50:3 | The Egyptians mourned [Jacob\u2019s] death for seventy days.
Grief is a process that must not be denied or hurried. The rituals of wakes, visitations, funerals, and memorial services all help us move through the stages of grief.<\/em>
\u2022 2 SAMUEL 11:1 | In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab. . . . However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
For reasons not entirely known, King David gave up the active leadership of his troops. The loss may have created a vacuum in his life that he was seeking to fill with an immoral relationship with Bathsheba. As we grieve our losses we must be careful not to \u201cmedicate\u201d our pain with that which will only create more pain.<\/em>
\u2022 JOB 1:20-21 | Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. . . . He said, \u201c. . . The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.\u201d
Losses always bring pain. Recognizing and expressing that pain is not wrong or sinful, but rather it is a healthy expression of how God created us.<\/em>
\u2022 HEBREWS 10:34 | You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
It is important to allow yourself to grieve, but there comes a time for grieving to end. By serving God and others with all the energy and enthusiasm you can muster, you will begin to find healing. And as a Christian, you have the comfort of knowing that you will be with God forever in a place where all grief will be gone forever.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Love: <\/strong>A healthy definition of love is crucial to understanding the central message of the Bible. According to the Bible, love is not confined to sexuality, and it isn\u2019t primarily a feeling either. The Bible teaches that love is a commitment. As a commitment, love is not dependent on good feelings but rather on a consistent and courageous decision to extend oneself for the well-being of another. That commitment then produces good feelings, not the other way around. Jesus became the perfect demonstration of God\u2019s unconditional love for us by laying down his life for our benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I love people I don\u2019t even like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 1 JOHN 4:19 | We love each other because he loved us first.
As you reflect on God\u2019s love for you and receive it for yourself, you will grow in your ability to love those you do not like.<\/em>
\u2022 1 PETER 4:8 | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Love is an act of spiritual maturity, based on the eternal significance of each person and on what God is doing in your life. When you learn to love the unlovable, you have developed the ability to see others as Jesus does.<\/em>
\u2022 ROMANS 12:20 | \u201cIf your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.\u201d
Even if you don\u2019t like certain people, you can still choose to do tangible acts of love for them.<\/em>
\u2022 ROMANS 12:3 | I give each of you this warning: Don\u2019t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves.
Before you are too quick to dislike or dismiss someone, remember that you, too, have qualities that others may find unattractive.<\/em>
\u2022 MATTHEW 5:43-44 | \u201cYou have heard the law that says, \u2018Love your neighbor\u2019 and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!\u201d
Only in Christ\u2019s love can we love our enemies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the HelpFinder Bible<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are living through some crazy times: pandemics, political unrest, we’ve even had Saharan Desert sand storms in the U.S. It’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed and keep asking “what’s next?” When we’re backed against a wall, exhausted, and not sure who to trust we can easily fall into traps of despair. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,30,45,52],"tags":[92,94,110,151,225],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4922"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5628,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4922\/revisions\/5628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4922"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4922"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpmu3.northcentralus.cloudapp.azure.com\/nlt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4922"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}