An Evening Digest - Overcoming Your Difficulties

Article written by -  Steve Wickham

You're in a crowded shopping center  trapped in a queue, and you're in a hurry. Or you're at work and are pressed by a particular problem you don't know how to fix or where to start. Or again, your partner vexes you with a conflict that you have no idea how to handle. You're befuddled and ready to give up. Life is definitely not fun at the moment. How do you go on and conquer this feeling, gaining victory over self?

Everyone without exception has difficulties. It would not be life without them. It seems that not only was life not meant to be easy, it was actually designed to test us out! So, how do we get over this wall ahead of us?

The Shaman warriors would suggest by jumping over the wall, not smashing through it. There is a similar philosophy in Christianity. It's called faith. Let us explore three very well linked Greek words that provide the key to overcoming your difficulties.

FIRST, there is the word thlipsis. This word means pressure. It also means affliction and distress of mind i.e. difficulty.

SECOND, there is the word tharseo. This word is in verb form meaning to be of good courage/cheer, to be confident and hopeful.

THIRD, there is the word nikao. This word is also in verb form and it means to conquer, or to overcome i.e. the difficulty.

The second word above is the key. The key idea is your attitude. It would be as simple as writing it in a mathematical way:

Difficulty + hopeful/courageous/positive attitude = victory (overcoming the difficulty)
Or
Difficulty + poor/insufficient attitude = more difficulty.

The principle is very simple. Difficulties strike us very commonly. They happen daily, hourly, and minute by minute even. If you're aware of problems as they arise, you can apply faith, which is patient hope set in a bed of courage. It will surprise you how often you make your problems worse by simply not applying faith.

The frustrating thing is this. Even though the above principle is a simple one, it is hard to apply consistently, without faith that is. With faith, anything is possible. It's all a matter of choice and effort.