I wrote this paper awhile ago when I was going through some very rough times in my life. I wanted to share it with all of you because we all need encouragement and to know why we are going through what we are going through.
Trials and Temptations
"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything...."
I have decided to write this little paper in order to help other people who stuggle with depression, physical ailments, and any problems really. I am currently battling depression myself and the things listed below have helped me a lot. My personal problems started out with physical sickness and then moved on to depression, so I think I can say that I have experience in phsyical, mental, and spiritual problems. I am going to share the things that have helped me the most. Keep in mind that I have both poor grammar and poor spelling and about an ounce of knowledge and wisdom. This is just my way of trying to help others from my own personal experiences.
Below, I have takin some very imporant verses from the Bible and I am going to share them with you. These verses are very, very important to keep in mind when you are going through your own personal tests. These tests that we go through are often spiritual and/or phsyical. We all must keep in mind that for the fews years we are on earth, we may suffer, but the reward that comes afterwards is eternal. The tests and trials we go through on this Earth will be nothing compared to our eternal existence, even though these same trials determine where we will be in eternity. They will be like a single second of pain and suffering. With that in mind, lets get to the good stuff.
Phillipians 4:4-9
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
The above teaches us that we should not be anxious about anything, because the Lord is near. We also should not be anxious because God will hear our prayers because he is close to us. To have your soul and body completely at peace without worry is a wonderful gift, known as the peace of God. We can obtain this peace through prayer and thanksgiving.
In verses 8&9 it is teaching us the things that we should keep our minds on. We should not dwell on negative things but should keep our minds on what is excellent and praise worthy. We may have problems but we should not let our minds dwell on them because what is in our hearts determines how we feel. If you keep these good things in your heart you will feel very good. For it is written "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."( Luke 6:45)
Colossians 3:1-2
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
The above teaches us that we should not keep our minds on the things of this earth but on things above, in heaven. This is important because the things of this earth are violent, evil, and foolish. The things of heaven are noble, pure, right, true, lovely, and admirable. Wherever your thoughts and concerns dwell, your heart is there also. So focus on the wonderful things of heaven rather than the things of this earth. Let your fears and troubles in this world pass you by.
Hebrews 13:5
5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
Here the Bible shows us God's love for us. He will not leave us nor will he forget us. We should not be afraid of anything on this earth because the God who created it is with us. The creator is in control of his creation so we should not fear anything but should let our faith and strength rest in God above. It takes time to be able to do this but it will happen to the person who seeks to accomplish it.
James 1:2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.
This verse is important because we always look at trials as a negative thing. These verses teach us to rejoice when we are faced with trials because they increase our faith and perseverance. Trials are very important for the growth of a christian. Some trials are spiritual, while some are phsyical but the goal of all of them is to increase your faith. When you are facing a trial you should search for the lesson that can be learned from it.
1 Peter 1:6-7
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
I have selected these verses because it demonstrates that trials refine our Faith in God. The trials prove to both us and God that we believe in him and have faith. This is the purpose for wich we encounter such trials.
1 John 4:13-19
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.
This is important because it is talking about God's love and ours. I love how it states that there is no fear in love because it is so true. If we love God, we will fear nothing because we know everything is in his hands. If we love him, we trust in him. If we trust in him, we will overcome everything, including spiritual and physical trials.
1 John 5:13-15
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
Now there are many, many more verses in the Bible that prepare us for physical and spiritual trials but I would like to keep this short. I suggest reading the book of Job and the book of Psalms for anyone who is enduring physical or spiritual hardships. These books can teach us all quite a bit about suffering, hardships, doubts, and tradegy but also how God always helps those who cry out to him.
Now I am going to go ahead and list a few other things that have made me feel better when I was really down.
Prayer. Prayer has helped me so much that it is unbelievable. Just knowing that whenever I feel the need to turn to God, he is always there. Whenever I needed strength, he was there with me. Sometimes I would pray tons of times in a day, while others I would only pray once or twice. God is there, the name we know him by does not mean "I AM" for nothing. God is, he does exist and he is there for you. He is closer to you, and can help you more than anything or anyone ever could. Reach out and you will find him.
Mathew 6: 9-13
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
Something else that helped me was "The Gospel of John." - This is a beautiful movie that is faithful to the every word found in the book of John. It is movie based word for word on the Bible that recreates the time of Jesus beautifully. The message that this movie bears is very important. It has effected my life and also the lives of my family and friends. It will change your outlook on life and since anyone who reads this will be close to me, ask and I will watch it with you anytime, no matter what I am doing. This movie will uplift your spirit and make you feel peaceful.
That is all for this short paper. I hope it helps those who are looking for answers and support. Remember that you are not alone and that Christ and the Father are always near. Good luck with your trials, whatever they may be. Stand firm and dig in your heels. If you ever need anything, I am willing to help in anyway that I can. Christ be with you.
Jedediah
Trials and Temptations
"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything...."
I have decided to write this little paper in order to help other people who stuggle with depression, physical ailments, and any problems really. I am currently battling depression myself and the things listed below have helped me a lot. My personal problems started out with physical sickness and then moved on to depression, so I think I can say that I have experience in phsyical, mental, and spiritual problems. I am going to share the things that have helped me the most. Keep in mind that I have both poor grammar and poor spelling and about an ounce of knowledge and wisdom. This is just my way of trying to help others from my own personal experiences.
Below, I have takin some very imporant verses from the Bible and I am going to share them with you. These verses are very, very important to keep in mind when you are going through your own personal tests. These tests that we go through are often spiritual and/or phsyical. We all must keep in mind that for the fews years we are on earth, we may suffer, but the reward that comes afterwards is eternal. The tests and trials we go through on this Earth will be nothing compared to our eternal existence, even though these same trials determine where we will be in eternity. They will be like a single second of pain and suffering. With that in mind, lets get to the good stuff.
Phillipians 4:4-9
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
The above teaches us that we should not be anxious about anything, because the Lord is near. We also should not be anxious because God will hear our prayers because he is close to us. To have your soul and body completely at peace without worry is a wonderful gift, known as the peace of God. We can obtain this peace through prayer and thanksgiving.
In verses 8&9 it is teaching us the things that we should keep our minds on. We should not dwell on negative things but should keep our minds on what is excellent and praise worthy. We may have problems but we should not let our minds dwell on them because what is in our hearts determines how we feel. If you keep these good things in your heart you will feel very good. For it is written "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."( Luke 6:45)
Colossians 3:1-2
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
The above teaches us that we should not keep our minds on the things of this earth but on things above, in heaven. This is important because the things of this earth are violent, evil, and foolish. The things of heaven are noble, pure, right, true, lovely, and admirable. Wherever your thoughts and concerns dwell, your heart is there also. So focus on the wonderful things of heaven rather than the things of this earth. Let your fears and troubles in this world pass you by.
Hebrews 13:5
5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."
Here the Bible shows us God's love for us. He will not leave us nor will he forget us. We should not be afraid of anything on this earth because the God who created it is with us. The creator is in control of his creation so we should not fear anything but should let our faith and strength rest in God above. It takes time to be able to do this but it will happen to the person who seeks to accomplish it.
James 1:2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.
This verse is important because we always look at trials as a negative thing. These verses teach us to rejoice when we are faced with trials because they increase our faith and perseverance. Trials are very important for the growth of a christian. Some trials are spiritual, while some are phsyical but the goal of all of them is to increase your faith. When you are facing a trial you should search for the lesson that can be learned from it.
1 Peter 1:6-7
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith---of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
I have selected these verses because it demonstrates that trials refine our Faith in God. The trials prove to both us and God that we believe in him and have faith. This is the purpose for wich we encounter such trials.
1 John 4:13-19
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us.
This is important because it is talking about God's love and ours. I love how it states that there is no fear in love because it is so true. If we love God, we will fear nothing because we know everything is in his hands. If we love him, we trust in him. If we trust in him, we will overcome everything, including spiritual and physical trials.
1 John 5:13-15
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.
Now there are many, many more verses in the Bible that prepare us for physical and spiritual trials but I would like to keep this short. I suggest reading the book of Job and the book of Psalms for anyone who is enduring physical or spiritual hardships. These books can teach us all quite a bit about suffering, hardships, doubts, and tradegy but also how God always helps those who cry out to him.
Now I am going to go ahead and list a few other things that have made me feel better when I was really down.
Prayer. Prayer has helped me so much that it is unbelievable. Just knowing that whenever I feel the need to turn to God, he is always there. Whenever I needed strength, he was there with me. Sometimes I would pray tons of times in a day, while others I would only pray once or twice. God is there, the name we know him by does not mean "I AM" for nothing. God is, he does exist and he is there for you. He is closer to you, and can help you more than anything or anyone ever could. Reach out and you will find him.
Mathew 6: 9-13
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
Something else that helped me was "The Gospel of John." - This is a beautiful movie that is faithful to the every word found in the book of John. It is movie based word for word on the Bible that recreates the time of Jesus beautifully. The message that this movie bears is very important. It has effected my life and also the lives of my family and friends. It will change your outlook on life and since anyone who reads this will be close to me, ask and I will watch it with you anytime, no matter what I am doing. This movie will uplift your spirit and make you feel peaceful.
That is all for this short paper. I hope it helps those who are looking for answers and support. Remember that you are not alone and that Christ and the Father are always near. Good luck with your trials, whatever they may be. Stand firm and dig in your heels. If you ever need anything, I am willing to help in anyway that I can. Christ be with you.
Jedediah
