I can do all things in Him that strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
 
There are times in our lives when we wonder how we are going to do something, how we are going to handle a certain situation or where we would find the strength to do it etc… Your problem can be the pain of sickness or death; it might be connected to a setback in your business dealings; you might be confronted with a completely new way of living, or a new place, town or country; you might be asked to undertake a task that you are not equipped for.
 
Often on such circumstances we tend to give in to anxiety to such an extent that we become powerless and no longer have the ability to make well-though-out decisions. The result is that we risk the danger to act irrationally and fail as a consequence.
 
Make Jesus your mentor and partner in every aspect of your life and decisions. Take your worries, whatever they might be, to God in prayer. Open your life and thought to His guidance by being sensitive to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. He will not let you down, He will give you the ability to handle anything – do not fear the future, Christ is already there.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Guilt can wreak complete havoc with your emotions and can have a destructive effect on your approach to life. This is particularly true in our spiritual lives and there are many people who have suffered because of this.

There are indeed few people – if any – who have not at one time or another experienced the torment of spiritual barrenness. They were heavily laden under a blanket of guilt that had being brought about by some or other mistake that they have made.

The tragedy of these circumstances lies in the fact that you allow yourself to feel isolated from the grace of God; you think that you are no longer worthy of God’s love because of your guilt. In many instances this self-chastisement has destructive results in your thinking, your physical health as well as your spiritual well-being. In circumstances of this nature you can easily be robbed of your faith and as a result endure torment and find yourself in a spiritual wilderness.

In order to ensure that you do not fall prey to a guilt complex, it is imperative that you do not lose sight of the fact that Christ, when He took our guilt upon Himself, also assured you of God’s love for you. Therefore, there is forgiveness for you and Jesus is waiting to welcome you back into His flock. Simply open your heart to His grace by confessing your sins. Accept His incomprehensible act of grace and live a life of fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. Philippians 3:13-14

It is possible to reach a stage in life when you feel that you cannot go on. The road that you have travelled look like it has been strewn with the ashes of failure. You've tried – you and God know how hard. But now you have reached a breaking point and are ready to throw in the towel.
 
At such times, comforting words mean little and you are convinced that you are fighting a lonely battle and that no one really cares about what happens to you.
 
You are very wrong! God cares for you! He did not create you to be a failure; His will for you is that you will fulfil the purpose He has planned for you. Forget you past with all its disappointments and failures, and give God the first place in your life, then live the life that He longs for you to live.
 
Courageously start over. God will give you a full and satisfying life. You can develop spiritually through prayer and meditation, with the Word of God as your compass.
 
To make your prayers sincere and effective, you must accept Jesus as you savior and Lord of your life. Focus your hope on Him. Ask Him to lead you day by day in perseverance. As you learn to trust Him, you will realize that you do indeed matter to Him.
 
~ God who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain, but without stain. C.S. Lewis

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Romans 3:21-22

It would be very interesting to calculate exactly how many people are lost to the Christian faith because they find the demands of the Christian lifestyle too high.
 
The feel that they just cannot live up to the standards that Jesus set and that is why they turn away from – if they have begun with –what seems to them like an impossible battle. Because of this, they miss out on the greatest joy and pleasure that life has to offer – a personal relationship with the living Lord.
 
It is essential that you remember that Jesus is in fact aware of the weakness and fickleness of human behaviour. He experienced it first hand during His earthly ministry. As a result of this no one can earn being a Christian or be worthy of the love of Christ through their own merit – it is yours through the Grace of God.
 
All that Jesus asks of you when He calls you to commit yourself to Him is that you believe in Him and trust Him completely. If this is a problem for you because it seems too simple or too complicated, then go to your Bible and see how ordinary, simple, sinful and weak characters were transformed by Christ into ambassadors for Him, simply because they had faith in Christ and trusted Him.
 
It is possible for you too and it can be a turning point in your life.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

Most people are subject to changing moods. In good times they are in high spirits, but if things go wrong they become depressed and lose all hope. The pattern of their behavior is dictated by their emotional condition and the particular moment.
 
One of the character traits that differentiates the committed Christian from others is faith. Without faith it is impossible to lead a Christian life, but with faith you can triumph over all forces through the strength of the living Christ.
 
Regardless of what your circumstances are, it is absolutely essential that you hold on to the all-encompassing and completely victorious love of Jesus Christ. Do not let go of it for one minute, place your complete trust in Him to lead you through every situation in life. Lay all your fears, worries, needs and gratitude in prayer before God and surrender yourself completely to His care and grace.

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13

There come times in spiritual journey of each one of us when it feels like God is far away. Then your faith grows weak and your religion seems futile and meaningless. But remember that such a condition is always of your own making.
 
Be thankful that God does not change as a result of your changing moods. You might feel far away from Him, but He is just as close to you as He has always been. You belong to God and a passing mood cannot pluck you out of His hand. You are His – and He is yours.
 
As great and glorious as this truth might be, it is necessary for you to know that the reality of faith lies hidden in the depths of your soul. Simply to accept the truth that God cares for you is a wonderful comfort. But it is a life-giving experience to know that the Spirit of Christ, if you invite Him to, will fill your spirit. It is when your thoughts combine with the experience of the indwelling Holy Spirit that the assurance of God’s presence becomes a glorious reality.
 
If it feels as if God is far away, look for Him again. Accept the promise that He is always with you, and He will become a living reality to you.