Have you ever had a day when everything seems to go wrong? From the minute you get out of bed? I believe that we have all had such times.
A promise from God
On such days, God is giving us extra opportunities to overcome sin. When it seems like everything is going wrong, it doesn’t feel like He cares so much about us!
But God’s Word is clear. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT).
That means that even on days when everything seems to be against us, it is possible not to become irritated and angry or to fall when we are tempted.
David’s example: A fearless overcomer
I remember one time when I had one of these days; it seemed like everything was against me. When I went to bed that evening and thought about all the things that had happened, I was reminded of the story of David and Goliath in the Old Testament.
David was just a young man against a mighty giant, but he was so full of the spirit of faith and trusted in God so completely, that he was fearless. In this spirit of faith and power he could overcome and kill the giant, and in the end the whole enemy army was defeated. Because of this, the Israelites got peace again, where before they had been plagued by the Philistines.
An overcoming life
I thought about how this was very much like the day I had just had. I felt like I had been in a battlefield the whole day, and all I saw were “enemies” in my own nature, the enemies inside me such as my own irritation and anger at not being able to change my situation. And I saw how easy it is in such a time to be unkind to others – to be rude, or to say harsh words in anger - because of my frustration.
But I knew that if I did this, then my “enemies” would win. Then I would not have overcome them; they would have overcome me. Instead of reacting in this way, I could refuse to give in to things like bitterness, irritation or anger. Every time I was tempted to these things, I could say “No!” and pray for help to overcome them.
At the end of the day, I could say that I had fought a really hard battle against the sin in my own nature - against all of that irritation and anger and unkindness. I had not given in and I felt great peace and joy knowing that God had really given me a way out in these many situations. I had overcome.
And God wants the same for you in your situations! You too can overcome the sin you are tempted to and get peace within, even on the days when it seems like everything is going wrong!