Looking Beyond My Troubles

by David Rollert

Have you ever felt like your troubles are starting to take over? When we face various troubles in our lives, sometimes they are all we can think or talk about. It may feel like those troubles will never end. For many, this is when they stop making plans for the future, because they are focused only on the current troubles. Some start considering a drastic move like running away from their life, or even committing suicide. No one WANTS to get to that point – but it does happen. So, how can we avoid it?

Looking beyond our current troubles can help us get through them. Consider the good things that we have yet to do. Make goals and plans for a better life! Consider how we will build better relationships. This is exactly how God counsels Judah and Jerusalem at the end of Zephaniah. He speaks to them about how good things will be after returning from the Babylonian captivity. They would be humble, righteous, and faithful to Him. They would delight in God rather than rebel against Him (Zephaniah 3:8-20). He tells them these things BEFORE they go into Babylonian captivity to give hope for the future and to help them endure the just punishment He was bringing. He reassures them the coming trouble is not the end of the story. We can do something similar. We don’t have prophecies telling us exactly how things will be for us after our trials pass. But, God gave us intellect and imagination! How can they help us look beyond troubles?

By asking, “What decisions and actions brought me here, and what could I change next time to bring a better result?” This basic growth-oriented mentality lets you plan for how you will handle similar situations in the future to avoid bad situations. It may be something simple like, “don’t go back to that place,” or “don’t spend time with those people.” It might be more complex (i.e., “I will use deep breathing and prayer to stay calm when I start getting angry”).

By asking, “What positive, healthy, godly things do I want to foster in my future?” Goals are essential for personal and spiritual growth! But they must be realistic, and specific. Simply saying, “I want to grow” does not bring about growth. Unattainable goals only add to despair and depression (i.e., “I want to be a billionaire who never faces temptation”). Instead, set measurable and attainable goals. “I want to memorize passages that will help me resist temptation,” or “I want to increase the time I spend with Christians.” Those goals are both attainable. You can document your efforts and measure your progress.

By looking to godly examples who have overcome struggles. See what their lives are like and ask them how they overcame their struggles. They may not be rich or famous - but do they have peace, godly relationships, and joy? Retrain your view of “normal” to match the reality of what a healthy life and godly relationships look like.

Almost all of us face times where it feels like our troubles will consume us. In those times it is important to look beyond the current troubles and seek godly counsel and companionship.