Man of the Household

Included in the Man of the Household job description is the “Handling of Difficult Circumstances” deal. Men of God in particular must embrace this challenge in the manner that our Lord intended. It is an INTENTIONAL process really. The Apostle Paul understood how to handle tough circumstances. Imprisoned and awaiting his fate at the hands of those who hated Christ and therefore him…he writes with confidence and joy (Philippians 1:18, 2:18; 3:1). We also read in 3:8-11 that despite being in chains, he was able to celebrate the Lord’s work in his life.

Focusing on Christ is neither a natural reaction nor an easy one. Our instinct is to dwell on the situation at hand, searching for solutions or stewing over the pain and difficulty. As a result, troubles look scary and overwhelm us with a sense of defeat or dread. Remember what happened to Peter as he stepped out of that boat during the storm and lost his Christ focus.

Wonderfully, either fear or defeat can long live in the heart that trusts the Lord. I am not saying you will forget what you’re going though, but you can choose to dwell on His provision and care instead. He is the Deliverer (2 Corinthians 1:10). He is the Healer (Deuteronomy 32:39). He is the Guide (Proverbs 3:6). The believer who lays claim to divine promises discovers that God pushes back negative emotions. In their place, hope, confidence, and contentment take up residence (Philippians 4:11). You are not going to be happy about a difficult situation, it is one of those “Man Challenges”, but you can be satisfied that God is in control and up to something good in the midst of trouble.

God’s principles and promises never change, no matter what the situation. Keep your focus on Christ instead of the circumstance–God will bring you safely through the trial. Then you can answer Paul’s call to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4)