Day 13 – Living Boldly: Life Is Hard and Does Not Apologize

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Today’s truth may not be easy to hear, but it’s crucial to understand: life is hard and doesn’t apologize. Fallenness is no respecter of persons, not even caring if you are a Christian. Everyone faces struggles, but what sets people apart is how they respond to their life challenges, which begs the question. Will you choose to complain and remain stuck in your trouble, or will you flip the script and become a difference-maker?

Rick’s 31-Day Devotions

• 31-Day Marriage Devotion
• 31-Day Parenting Devotion
• 31-Day Young Adult Devotion

For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity (Proverbs 24:16).

The Choice Is Yours

Life’s difficulties aren’t about fairness or exceptions; they’re about what you choose to do with what comes your way. The Bible teaches that your response to trials can glorify God and transform you into the person He created you to be. Even when life seems unfair, you have the opportunity to rise above it and put God’s name on display.

This mindset shift is powerful and appears to be a rare jewel in this generation of disgruntled souls. Your story is defined not by the circumstances themselves but by your response to them, making your impulses and reactions the materials that will bring shape to your life.

My Story of Blame and Transformation

As a teenager, I didn’t understand this truth. By age 15, I was angry, reckless, and sitting in jail for the bad decisions I had made. I didn’t take responsibility for my actions. Instead, I blamed others, convinced that my problems were someone else’s fault. Sure, there were people in my life who genuinely hurt me. But when you mix disappointment with a legitimate complaint, you’re standing at the edge of victimhood. I took that next step into self-pity, and it was a trap that I could not see until I was ensnared by it.

It wasn’t until Christ got hold of my life that I realized I didn’t have to live this way. The bad things that happened to me didn’t have to define me negatively. I could allow Christ to transform me from the inside out, giving me a new identity and purpose. This new life did not erase my past mistakes but it did reinterpret them through a redemptive filter that gave me a passion and purpose to serve others. God does use sin sinlessly.

Transcend Your Troubles

The best decision you can make is to follow Jesus. If you fall, get back up and keep following Jesus. Your most transformative and memorable lessons will come through your failures. Life’s hardships don’t have to control you when you belong to Him. As part of God’s family, you have the strength to transcend your troubles and turn them into opportunities for growth and witness. It’s called flipping the narrative by taking what was meant for evil and using it for good (Genesis 50:20).

You will submit to someone or something—whether it’s your circumstances, the opinions of others, or the cravings of your heart. Why not submit to Christ? He offers hope, healing, and the power to flip your negative narrative into a story of redemption and purpose.

Time to Reflect

1. How do you usually respond to disappointments? What is your typical reaction to life’s challenges? Are you quick to blame, complain, or give up? Or, are you quick to see God’s purpose in the problems?
2. What is one thing you can do to flip one of your negative narratives? How can you reframe it as an opportunity to grow, serve others, or glorify God?
3. Take time today to ask God for wisdom and courage to respond to life’s difficulties in a way that honors Him. You can’t control what life throws at you, but you can choose how to respond, which will make all the difference.

Let’s live boldly, choosing to transcend life’s hardships by relying on Christ’s transformative power.

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Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).