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“Part 2: A Difficult Path - A Strong Spirit”

“The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?”(Proverbs 18:14 Amplified) The Message Bible puts it this way, “A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed”.

It is in the times of pain and trouble that you will discover the condition of your spirit. The difference between a strong spirit and a weak spirit is in what you feed it. If you feed your spirit fear, doubt and unbelief then, when trouble or pain comes, you will be overcome. But if you have a healthy spiritual life in God’s Word, in his House and regularly in his presence, you will have faith and confidence in him, despite the circumstances. That doesn’t mean that you won’t experience heartache and disappointment, but it does mean that you will have faith to endure and hope for the future. Without hope, your life will eventually drift off course and onto the ‘rocks’ of despair and hopelessness. That is no way to live.

Remember that working through pain is a process, a journey toward a destination. Many times we just want the journey to end – like the kids in the back seat of the car continually asking, “Are we there yet?” - our trials are similar. Don’t put off what needs to be addressed at the beginning of the process hoping that you can avoid or somehow minimize your suffering. As excruciating as it may feel at the time, doing the right thing and being obedient to God allows you to move through the process faster.

No matter who you are or how many years you’ve been a Christian, times of challenges and trials will come. Such setbacks take their toll, and we look to both God and people for comfort, but the Bible tells us not to let the troubles of this world devastate us. You must make right choices if you want a strong spirit and what you choose to focus on determines whether you will find peace in your heart or not. Remember, it is in these times you discover that the strength of your spirit and the health of your soul comes from God.

Prayer: I recognise that I must take responsibility for my spirit and today I make the decision to do that. Spirit of God, guide and strengthen me to walk with wisdom in the face of trouble so that I develop a strong spirit in Jesus Name.