Keep going because God knows the end of the story.
We don’t always know how things will turn out. Sometimes we feel stuck because we feel like life just isn’t going our way. But in ANY situation, we can trust God and remember that He knows the end of the story. Remember, we are part of God’s Big Story. God has always had a big plan for an even bigger story. Abraham, Moses, David, and all the people we read about in the Bible didn’t know the end of the story. But God does. He knows that the end of the story is good.
God always knows the ending.
There are times where we believe that we know the outcome and we might as well just give up. Do you ever find yourself here? You know the right thing you should do . . . maybe standing up for a friend who is being picked on or telling the truth when you know it could cost you, but you’re feeling scared to keep going. Remember, just because we think we know how it might end doesn’t mean that we do. You never know how God might use your part of the story to write an incredible ending!
When things in life are unsure, we can turn to God.
A lot of times, we don’t know what’s going to happen. Someone in our family is sick, we’re struggling with math at school, or we’re just having a hard time getting along with our family. In rough times like these we might not know what to do or we feel lost. There is good news! God cares about us and knows what is going to happen, so we don’t need to worry. We can trust Him to help us stay determined because He knows what’s going to happen.
We can always overcome.
There can be times in life when we are met with obstacles. There are days when all we see are the obstacles to our story. We can’t imagine how a particular situation will ever get better. When we’re struggling at school, or some friends at our lunch table aren’t getting along, it’s hard to think of how that might end well. In times where we are overwhelmed by obstacles, we have to decide to trust God. God always has a plan; He always knows how things are going to end. When we put our trust in God, He will help us overcome the obstacles.
We are never alone.
Sometimes in life can be a little scary. Maybe speaking in front of a group of people scares you or maybe your friend was really sick and you were scared because you didn’t know when he or she would get better or you had to move to a new town and you didn’t know anyone. In times like these we can feel like nobody understands us or that we are alone, but we are never alone. Even when things are scary – ESPECIALLY when things are scary – God is with you and he always knows how things are going to end up.
Tough to terrific.
We’ve already decided that tough times are a drag and no one wants to go through them. But God has this amazing way of turning difficult situations into good. When tough times hit, the enemy wants us to feel discouraged and hopeless. God on the other hand wants us to feel nothing but HOPE. Hope is believing that God is who He says He is. God says that He is with us and that He will help us. Let’s choose hope over hopelessness.
God uses tough times to teach us.
My kids are very active, just like you! Like you, we’ve had a lot of extra time on our hands, which has forced us to try new and different things. Most recently I watched my kids learn how to do Double Dutch, if you don’t know what that is, it’s a fancy way to jump rope using two ropes and three people. The first few days were a little rocky. They had a lot to figure out before they could make it work. They all had to get on the same page, figure out the right timing, and then learn when to and when not to jump. It was tough, but guess what? They figured it out and they learned so much in the process. Just like learning a new skill, God uses tough times to teach us.
We don’t need to go through it alone.
I asked my kids the other day, “What is one thing you would want a lot of?” One kid said “monster trucks” and the other kid said, “friends.” We need friends! People can help us get through hard times. When you are struggling with something, tell your mom and dad, your Kid’s Pastor, or your friends so that we can come along side of you and pray for you. We were not meant to go through things alone. Chances are one of us has been through something similar. If you don’t feel like you have a close friend that you can share stuff with, pray and ask God to give you the friends you need.
How do you respond to tough times?
Think about a time in your life when things were tough; maybe at school, or at home, or with your friends. How did you respond? Did you give up? Feel stuck? Ask for help? God knows when we are having a hard time. Do you know how God wants us to respond to difficult situations? He wants us to stop and ask Him for help. What do you need help with today? Pray and ask God to help you. He is waiting for you!
Keep going even when it gets tough.
I have good news and I have bad news. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. We’re going to have tough times. It’s inevitable. Are tough times fun? No! Do we want to go through tough times? No way! Now, for the good news! God is with us and we don’t have to go through tough times alone. I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that God is going help me to keep going even when things get hard.
