Finding God in Suffering: 5 Affirmations to Carry You
Some conversations remain imprinted on our minds in the precise location where they took place. Hard conversations with friends. Phone calls that change everything in the blink of an eye. Faith-filled conversations that shift paradigms in our minds and call us to learn how to be brave in new ways. Today, we’ll talk about finding God in suffering. I’ll share five affirmations that have carried me through the darkest days.
Finding God in Suffering
As last summer drew to a humid close, I remember precisely where we were walking when a close friend asked how I felt about an impending season of immense difficulty. Our family was on the brink of change, and it wasn’t going to be change that came softly and easily. It was a change that was going to require me to learn how be brave, and I wasn’t sure I had it in me.
As time wore on, I realized that the secret to finding God in suffering included speaking words of truth. Here are some of the affirmations I spoke during that time.
Biblical Affirmations for Finding God in Suffering
1. This, too, shall pass.
More than a dozen years ago, I vividly remember sitting on the gymnasium floor of the high school where I was a teacher. I was feeling incapacitated by pregnancy sickness while my students played kickball. A colleague saw me slumped against the wall in my misery. She knelt beside me, put her hand on my knee, and gently said, “This, too, shall pass.”
I remember that moment every time life gets hard.
When that first baby was born and wouldn’t sleep for more than an hour without wailing, I thought of my colleague and whispered the words, “This, too, shall pass.”
When her brothers came along, and all three kids got sick at the same time, I whispered the words.
And when worry, heartbreak, stress, and fear threatened to derail me, I whispered the words.
It probably feels like your difficult season will last forever. It will probably last longer than you prefer—maybe much longer. But it will not last forever. This, too, shall pass.
As Solomon stated, there is a time for every everything and a season for every activity under heaven (Eccl. 3:1, NIV).
2. This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.
This statement comes from Psalm 118:24. Speaking it reminds us to give thanks for God’s goodness in even the toughest times.
Currently, part of my morning quiet time includes naming five gifts in my life. I give thanks for a specific moment from the past day, a person, a surprise, something beautiful, and an act of kindness from the Lord. This practice is especially helpful when life is hard, when my kids are in the other room bickering, and when I don’t feel like facing the day ahead of me.
Most of us tend to focus on our biggest problem at any given moment. When I catch myself ruminating on my problems, I redirect my mind by pausing to give thanks for one blessing.
I look out the window and give thanks for the poplar tree for the hundredth time—because today is a new day, and I’m still thankful for this tree with its outstretched limbs and the shade it provides in the summer. I give thanks for my blue-eyed children and their smiles and the joy they bring to our home.
Appreciation calms the nervous system and enables us to connect with God and others. The next time you catch yourself wishing your life away, pause and thank God for three gifts in your life. This will help lift your head.
3. I have learned to be content in any and all situations.
The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Philippian church from prison (see Phil. 3:12).
Most of us feel the temptation to compare ourselves to others. We look at our social media feeds and feel sorry for ourselves as we admire our friends having fun on beaches.
When we compare ourselves to others, we’re overlooking this: We aren’t seeing their full stories from our vantage points.
Resist the urge to compare your humble home to the new home of your wealthiest friend. Remind yourself that the pictures people post on social media are their best moments, and don’t try to compare their best moments to your average moments.
Ask God to help you be content with what you have. Every time you feel tempted to compare, stop yourself and give thanks for a gift in your life.
Ask God to help you be content with what you have. Every time you feel tempted to compare, stop yourself and give thanks for a gift in your life. #gratitude #thankful #contentment Share on X4. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).
Our words are powerful. If you speak negativity over your day before even getting out of bed, you aren’t setting yourself up for success.
Instead, when worry, fear, or discouragement creep in, lift your head and declare, “Today is going to be a good day!”
Speak positive affirmations to yourself, and your mindset will shift.
5. I am more than a conqueror through him who loves me (Romans 8:37).
We are strong and victorious in Christ. The next time you feel defeated during a time of suffering, remind yourself of these words!
A Free Devotional to Help You With Finding God in Suffering
Hope for Hard Days is my free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE.
Calling all moms and daughters—and parents of boys!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 14, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or grandparents to read with the children they care about.
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength is for boys ages 5-13. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to courageously carry God’s love into the world. Written with input from our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven, this book will help the boys you care about find courage and strength in God. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Devotionals for Girls
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
All three books are available in print and eBook form here on Amazon. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
