When you’re confronted with challenges

Over a period of 10 years, I was confronted with one health-related issue after the other. 5 out of the 10 years dealt with chronic pain. Read the whole story about my chronic pain journey here.

What I’m sharing with you today was the toughest time of my life. But I also learned a lot during several challenges. Read my story and the most valuable lessons that may help you as well: 

Life consists of seasons. Just because you’re dealing with a lot of things right now doesn’t mean you’ll stay there forever.

From ages 15 to 25 one health issue followed after the other. I had angina every month with antibiotics treatment that messed up my gut and led to terrible digestive issues. Because the treatments weakened my immune system, I continued getting a throat infection almost every month. Before I gave my life to Christ, I had 3 surgeries in one year and dropped out of grammar school because I was in a bad mental health. 

When I became Christian, my mental problems vanished, because my heart got filled with hope. It was wonderful! But countless other areas of my life were still a mess: My health, all of my relationships, school and career, anxiety, my heart and emotions… Countless things were out of God’s will for my life. 

Wait for God and embrace his timing.

For years, I watched other Christians at church get blessed. Some struggled with their health for a few months and then got healed. Others had wonderful Christian friends, while I had to let go of some relationships. Some developed new spiritual gifts and grew noticeably in their faith. 

Today, as I’m looking back, I see that my time came. I just had to wait on God.

Obey God and serve faithfully where he tells you to serve.

During the years I struggled with chronic pain, I went to school and after that to Uni, every day. I was faithful and obedient where God placed me. I served at church and spent time a lot of time in prayer and reading the Bible. 

Even though my circumstances were bad, I kept going. Sometimes my hands hurt so much that I had to stop taking notes in the middle of a lecture. I worked different side jobs to support myself, while my body was in pain. Where God told me to work, I went to work. I knew that I was serving for him alone:

Voice your doubts, anger and frustrations to God. 

To be honest with you, 10 years is a really long time to be struggling with health issues. Especially when you’re in your late teens and early twenties. Many times, I doubted that God will ever heal me. There were times when I cried out for God to take away all the things I was struggling with. 

During those years of challenges, I’ve learned how to have open and honest conversations with God. I realized that he can deal with my raw emotions. He can handle my mess. He doesn’t want us to wear our ‘holy Christian mask’ in his presence but be real and vulnerable. 

Practice gratitude. Find the balance between talking about your frustrations with God and keeping a good attitude. 

While voicing our deeply held emotions and sorrows to God, we shouldn’t get lost in our pain. 

Have you noticed that David often ends his prayers with praise or thanksgiving? Even if he describes his deep sorrows and anger in his Psalms, he declares words of hope in the end:

Praise God for all he has done for you and list the things you are grateful for. Keeping a balance between naming our frustrations and declaring his goodness is the key. 

Embrace the process and grow from your challenges.

Facing troubles in this life is inevitable: 

We have to see our challenges as opportunities to grow instead of getting knocked down by them. If we want to become stronger and more confident, we have to face our adversities.

Those challenging years birthed perseverance and strength to press through when life gets tough. 

If you want to read more about overcoming challenges, read this post: Grow from adversity 

The fight is not against flesh and blood.

While on the outside, seemingly nothing in my life changed, a spiritual fight was going on. 

I had strongholds that God needed to deliver me from. There were lies in my mind that I needed to confront with the truth. I had to break free from different sins. God used my challenges to transform, refine and free me. 

God is good and faithful.

After 9 years of pain and hardship, a light was dawning. For a very long time, I saw NOTHING. And then over the course of a year, breakthrough after breakthrough happened. I couldn’t believe what God was doing. 

All those years I had been declaring God’s goodness over my life. I had been praying for healing, good health, amazing friendships, having a family of my own, standing firm on my identity in Christ, inner fulfillment, walking in my calling, and much more. And you know what? God answered all of those prayers I just listed. It brings me to tears that I can witness God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life today in a way I never thought possible. 

Trust God because he will come through in the end.

Today, I can honestly say that I have never felt better in my life. And don’t get me wrong: My life is far from perfect. I’m still facing challenges. But now I see how God came through in my past and I know he’ll do it again. 

God is so kind and compassionate. He is faithful and gracious!

Read more:

8 things that 5 years of chronic pain have taught me

How God told me what job to apply to

Grow from adversity

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