“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

No one wants to go through hard things. But the truth is, we’re all going to face hard things at some point. It’s a fact of life in this fallen world. But what do you do when those hard things hit you? What’s your attitude? Are you too busy complaining about your circumstances to learn anything from them? Or do you stand strong, stick it out and hold onto the promises of God?

Rejoicing in the midst of hardship may seem backwards to some of you. But the reality is that God can use your bad situation to grow your faith, to produce patience, and ultimately develop you into someone who is more like Jesus. After all, He works all things together for good to those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

Honestly, the closest I’ve ever felt to God was when I was the most heartbroken, afraid, or lonely. And I’ve learned the most during those trying times. Although it’s sometimes difficult to see anything good in our hardest moments, we can still rejoice knowing that in our struggle, God is strengthening us and creating good things out of our mess. ❤️