Can you walk into any difficult situation and rejoice?  Can you deal with a difficult person and rejoice?   Can you walk away from a terrible job and still rejoice?  Rejoice Christians and again I say rejoice!   Rejoice is the verb that says we are putting our faith into practice. 

For most of us, when difficult situations come we do not always approach them as mature Christians. The Lord says rejoice.  It is a commandment.  It is something we must do.  It is imperfect in terms that rejoicing is never complete.  It is a continuous action. It also carries future reference. Rejoicing will be required for every situation in our futures.

This week’s text is Part 1 of a series of messages on God’s approach to a difficult situation.   Below is what God is saying about our difficult situations.

 Points to remember:

1.   Remember the right attitude will be the key in handling the situation. Attitude is everything.  Philippians 2:5 tells us let “this mind be in you which is also in Christ”.   Even if the situation isn’t right; even if it doesn’t change when I want it to change; even if it doesn’t work out the way I want it to work out; I am required to have a right attitude. 

2.   Remember the right focus is also paramount to handling the situation.  Focus requires not the mind; but literally the eyes. Who am I looking at?  So often I am looking at people when I need to be looking at Jesus and looking at His word.  When my focus is not right my prayer time becomes short.  My worship attendance becomes zero.  I should be looking to the hills from whence cometh my help, all of my help cometh from the Lord. Psalm 121:1

3.   Repeated reminders of what God has said about the situation will be essential.  We must be continuously doing the things we need to do to produce the right attitude.  Good men ought to always pray.  Pray without ceasing.  Forsake not the assembly of ourselves, which means go to church.

You do not always have to be doing something wrong.  Job was doing nothing wrong when his test came. Jesus was doing nothing wrong when he was on his cross.  As a matter of fact if you know the Lord, you are right where you need to be.  God can take any situation and bring you closer to him.  God can use the situation to reel you in.  You are the big fish which God has caught; however, you not close enough yet.  Can you feel God pulling you closer to him in your circumstance?   Will you come closer?  Come closer today.  Come closer right now.  Stop fighting God.  He wants to use you for His honor, His glory and His praise.

Prayer:   Lord help the one who is looking at their difficult situation with a wrong attitude.   Remind them that you are working it together for their good.  Remind them that you are bringing them closer to You.  Thank you Lord that you can see so much in them. In Jesus name.  AMEN.