This may not be a popular title or topic, but the reality is that as followers of Christ, we are not exempt from difficulty and bad situations in life. In fact, if we are trying to make a difference in the lives of other’s we become a target for the enemy. We were not promised that if you follow Christ it would get easy, we are simply reassured that we have a loving Father that cares about everything that concerns us and works on our behalf as David wrote in Psalm 138.

Are you in a situation right now where you are questioning God about situations and circumstances? Do you have good days and bad days?  Are you in a situation where everything is great and you do not have a care in the world right now? We will all go through these peaks and valleys. This is normal! But as we go through them, know that God is with you in the good and the bad.

I personally feel that we have gotten a little soft in our ability to endure hardship as a good soldier as Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3-4. I am here to tell you that I have not had it easy. Hardship has come and gone. And sometimes it rears it’s head up and I must confront it again. I have had to learn to manage my emotions and trust God for the outcome. But as leaders of our family and men, what is our part in this battle of good and evil? I am sure we often feel like there is nothing I can do! I can’t fix this! So we get angry and frustrated and try to escape mentally and emotionally when we should be engaging the challenges and making a difference.

How do we engage is often the hardest question to answer? Our responsibility is to be engaged emotionally and spiritually. I educate myself on the challenge and look for ways to help the situation. Look for ways to comfort and bring stability to the situation. There will be things that I cannot help, so I also pray and confess what God’s word says about the situation and my family. I love and comfort my family, guide them through the situation with love and kindness. It is not our job to fix it, even though that is what we are inclined to do. It is our job to do what we can, and trust God to do what we cannot.

In Matthew 3 we see where Jesus is baptized and then announced into public ministry by God, his father. Then we see Jesus in the middle of testing, temptation and trial in the wilderness. Let’s look at the stability, confidence and reliance on God’s word that occurred during this time. If Jesus went through a “Wilderness Experience” that makes us think we will skate through life without issue?

John Maxwell puts it this way, “Effective leadership begins with an emotionally and spiritually healthy leader.”  What will you do to be sure that you are that emotionally and spiritually healthy leader? The fight will eventually come to your doorstep, and when it does, you will want to be ready! So my challenge to you is to begin finding out who you are as a person. Build your EQ, your Emotional Quotient. Build your understanding of the Word of God and begin praying and confessing God’s promises over your family.

Check out the Resources tab for a few resources and confessions.

What is EQ or EIQ? Wikipedia puts it this way: Emotional quotient (EQ) and Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EIQ), is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one’s goal(s).

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