As you have lived your life, you have come into situations in which people hurt you and made you uncomfortable. I know for myself; I’ve been on both on ends: the causing and the receiving end. However, recently, I was on the receiving end of an uncomfortable situation, and it was quite difficult with which to deal. As I’ve gone through the situation, I’ve learned how to cope with it. So here I present to you some useful guidelines to help you deal with these situations.
First of all, the most important step is to pray. Way too often we will go to our parents, pastors, friends, mentors, and just about everyone close to us other than God, Who should be closest to us. When we go to our friends and others before going to the Lord, we are saying with our actions that the advice and opinions of our friends and family are more important than that of God. Instead of going straight to those close to us, let’s go to the Lord, Who should be closer to us than anyone. When I was dealing with the situation, God helped me to remember what a glorious day it was when I prayed to Him, and the event no longer affected my attitude. Prayer is incredibly powerful!
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. James 5:13a
The next step is to read the Word of God. When you hear the words of a friend in a time of struggle, they comfort you. How much more will God comfort you when you hear His Words? Whether through prayer, the Bible, or through other sources, God’s words, if adhered to, will bring you comfort. One of the best ways to hear from God is by reading His Word, which is inspired by Him, useful for every situation. The day after the problem, I still felt uncomfortable, and after reading the Word and praying, I felt renewed and revived for the day.
My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Psalm 119:28
The next step is to rejoice to the Lord, which includes adoration in prayer, which can come in the forms of poetry and singing. When you enter into the house of God with praise, you enter into the joy of the Lord. The Bible says that praise is the entrance to joy, and when you have the joy of the Lord, you have the strength of God on your side. When Israel shouted a joyful noise unto the Lord, the walls of Jericho came down. If God tore down the walls of a city for Israel, surely, He will give you the strength to cope with the situation. The night that I was dealing with the difficult circumstance, I sang myself to sleep by singing worship songs, and I went to sleep being comforted by the Lord.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11
Then he said unto them, “… for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
The next to last step is to talk to close friends and loved ones who are strong in the Lord. While they should not be the first people to whom we go, they can help support us in our times of weakness. They can encourage us to do the right action and pray with us. For when two or more gather together in the name of Jesus, God is in the midst. When I had to cope with the situation, I asked one of my wonderful friends that very night to pray for me for comfort, and as time went on, I felt much better.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19-20
One step that is often forgotten is to talk to the person with whom you have the trouble. From my experience, this can be quite difficult, and I understand why people have often not come to me in such circumstances. However, talking to the person and working everything out can end the conflict and restore and/or build a relationship. Unfortunately, this step is not always applicable like in this past situation with which I was dealing, and even if you can talk to the person, you may receive a negative response. If you receive a negative response, there is not much to do but to pray for the person who hurt you. In addition to this, no matter what happens, whether you can work everything out or not, you must forgive the other person. Refusing to do so will cause your heart to harden and be crushed by your unforgiveness until you have nothing left. Therefore, whatever happens, forgive those who hurt you, and God will help you in the healing process.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matthew 5:23
From now on, I encourage you to pray throughout any situation in which you have been hurt and read the Word of God to feel His comfort and healing. In addition to this, I urge you to praise the Lord in these difficult times so that you can deal with the situation with the joy of the Lord as your strength. After going to the Lord, let’s go to our brothers in Christ who can encourage us to act accordingly. Lastly, let’s pray for those who hurt us and go to the person, giving love and forgiveness, and if possible, talking to him before the situation gets worse. Remember that by relying on the Lord, God will help you cope with life’s trials and struggles.
Have a great week!
PARA LA GLORIA DEL SEÑOR,
Jeremiah Yonemura
