Finding Strength to Keep Going When Life Gets Hard
Have you ever felt like your Christian walk was more like driving an old, broken-down car that barely gets you from one day to the next? You know the feeling – praying just to make it through another challenge, wondering if you have the strength to keep going when everything seems to be falling apart around you.
What Does It Mean to Keep Going When Everything Falls Apart?
Paul and Silas understood this struggle intimately. After being beaten, stripped naked in public, and thrown into the deepest part of a maximum security prison, they had every reason to quit. Yet at midnight, from the pit of that prison, they began singing and praising God. Their worship caused an earthquake that broke their chains and led to the salvation of their jailer.
But here’s what many people miss: their victory wasn’t the end of their story – it was just the beginning of the next chapter.
Why Doesn’t God Let Us Rest After Big Victories?
In the kingdom of God, every finish line is really just a starting line for the next race. Every mountaintop is the beginning of the next valley. The Christian life isn’t about finding one victory and coasting the rest of the way.
When Paul and Silas walked out of that prison in Acts 16:35, the magistrates wanted to quietly release them and sweep the whole incident under the rug. But Paul refused to go quietly. Why? Because it wasn’t about his personal comfort anymore – it was about protecting the brand new church they were leaving behind.
Standing Up for Others, Not Ourselves
Paul had remained silent during his beating, never claiming his Roman citizenship that could have protected him. But now he boldly declared his rights. The difference? During the beating, his mission was to reflect Christ’s character. Now, his mission was to protect the future of the church.
When Paul revealed he was a Roman citizen, the magistrates were terrified. They had illegally beaten and imprisoned a Roman citizen, which could have cost them their positions or worse. They came running to personally apologize and escort Paul and Silas out of prison.
How Do You Encourage Others When You’re Still Hurting?
After being publicly vindicated, what did Paul and Silas do? Instead of finding a quiet place to rest and heal, they went straight to Lydia’s house to encourage the other believers. Think about that – their backs were still raw from the beating, their bodies exhausted, yet they chose to pour encouragement into others.
This is one of the hardest things you’ll ever be called to do: encourage someone while you yourself are hurting. To preach faith while your own heart wrestles with doubt. To tell someone to trust God when you’re still working through your own struggles.
Your Scars Can Be Someone Else’s Proof
Sometimes your scars are the very proof somebody else needs to get through their dark day. When you’re broken and hurting but still testifying about God’s goodness, that’s when people know it’s real. You don’t have to have it all together – you just have to be willing to show up.
What Happens When You Keep Moving Forward Despite Opposition?
Paul and Silas didn’t retire after their victory in Philippi. Still limping and sore, they hit the road to the next town – Thessalonica. And what did Paul do there? The same thing he always did: he found the synagogue and started preaching Jesus.
For three weeks, Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. Some were persuaded and joined them, including many Greeks and leading women. But others became envious and stirred up a mob.
Obedience Doesn’t Guarantee Comfort
Here’s a truth we need to understand: obedience does not guarantee comfort. In fact, sometimes the more obedient you are, the more chaos the enemy will stir up around you. The mob attacked Jason’s house, dragging believers into the streets, and once again Paul and Silas were run out of town in the middle of the night.
Why Do We Expect the Christian Life to Be Easy?
We live in comfort with our air conditioning, drive-through coffee, and modern conveniences. Somehow we’ve gotten the idea that our Christian walk should be easy. We think if we pray enough, give enough, or serve enough, God will smooth out all the troubled roads ahead.
But why should your life be any easier than Paul’s? He faced beatings, prison, riots, and rejection in every town. What makes us think we can sit back and live our best Christian life without any obstacles or opposition?
Faith Is Not a Hobby – It’s a Lifeline
The world tells us faith is a hobby, something to practice when convenient. But Paul shows us that faith is not a pastime – it’s a lifeline. When your marriage is hard, don’t stop trusting God. When your health is failing, don’t stop praising God. When your finances are tight, don’t stop giving God your best.
Life Application
Just because life gets hard doesn’t mean God gets small. Just because you’re facing pain doesn’t mean His promises have lost their power. Just because you feel weak doesn’t mean He’s canceled the plan for your life.
This week, when the enemy whispers “it’s too much, just give up,” remember Paul and Silas. They didn’t stop praising in prison. They didn’t stop encouraging when they were bleeding. They didn’t stop preaching when the road got tough.
Your challenge this week: Identify someone in your life who needs encouragement right now, even while you’re dealing with your own struggles. Be willing to step into their “Lydia’s house” and speak life into them, even if you don’t have it all together. Show up anyway.
Questions to ask yourself:
Who has God placed in my life that needs my encouragement, even in the middle of my own storm?
What “finish line” am I treating as an excuse to stop serving God instead of seeing it as preparation for the next chapter?
How can I use my current struggles and scars as proof of God’s faithfulness to someone else who’s hurting?
Am I willing to keep moving forward in obedience even when it doesn’t guarantee comfort or ease?