Coping with Suffering and Brokenness in a Fallen World Part 2

Coping with Suffering and Brokenness in a Fallen World Part 2


So can we cope with suffering and brokenness?

It is through faith in God’s promises and the teaching of His Word that 
we can have the confidence that God is in control and that in Him we 
can discover His good and perfect plan for the future. It is with the 
Holy Spirit that we can be transformed and know the steps to take 
in order to live a life set apart to God. The Holy Spirit provides us 
with the strength, guidance and discernment that we need to live an 
abundant life. We also discover that God has promised the best is 
yet to come and that Jesus provides the peace we need even when circumstances weigh heavily on our spirit.

I love that Jesus gives us hope and tells us the truth about life:

John 16:33 (New International Version 1984)

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this 
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 

So even when our broken state rocks our world, we can be at peace 
because God is greater and more powerful than all our problems 
combined. Jesus has made it possible for us to be intimately connected 
to God through the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit fills us, we experience 
life and see the world with fresh attitude and perspective.

Romans 12:2  New International Version (NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the 

renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what 

God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Remember this:

The Holy Spirit provides the strength we need to get back on our 
feet; actually to get back on our knees. At this point when we lay 
low, show our reverence to God, and ask Him to revive our spirit, 
He moves in a powerful way to restore us back to Himself and to 
give us the strength and courage we need to deal with life.

Jesus said this:

Matthew 5:3 (The Message)

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you 
there is more of God and his rule. 

So we can cope with life in a fallen world by living a life set apart 
to God, a Spirit filled life. 

When we live surrendered and dedicated to God’s will, we will be transformed.

When we are transformed we can have the proper perspective on suffering and brokenness. 

God helps us in this transformation process through the power of 
His Spirit who changes our hearts and minds:

Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)  (Another helpful interpretation)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform 
you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn 
to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 Romans 15:13 (New International Version)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so 
that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God has a good purpose even when there is suffering and 
brokenness. The good news is that He is always ready to comfort 
us and minister to our hearts and minds when our perspective is 
limited and our eyes cannot see the light through the darkness. 
God is always working for the cause of His good purpose.

Romans 8:28 (New International Version 1984)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love 
him, who have been called according to his purpose

The problem is this: we don’t always reach out to God when we 
are struggling with our deepest and darkest pain. Even though we 
have a Comforter, the Holy Spirit, we choose to prescribe our own 
medication to make the pain go away. And when the pain doesn’t 
go away, there is a tendency to medicate ourselves even to the point 
of self-destruction, believing the only way to remove the pain is to no 
longer be able feel it. Many have gone this route and it is sad to see 
the destructive power of ones decision to take matters into their own 
hands leaving in the wake many who bear the sorrow of one’s 
painful destructive choices. The key word is choice and some make 
the choice to no longer suffer even though there are still other hopeful 
avenues to take. Many fall prey to substance abuse which can 
cloud perspective to the point of making a deadly choice. That is 
why medicating oneself improperly is the most dangerous way to 
deal with brokenness and depression.

There are times the pain I felt was so bad that I no longer wanted to live, 
but as I took the time to see the finality and effect of that decision on 
others, it was worth it to me to ponder a different way to deal with my 
darkness and seek help from the one who has the power to change the 
way I think and feel. Only through the supernatural power of the Holy 
Spirit can my thoughts and feelings be consumed with hope and peace. 
God wants to complete His work in us and through us.

Philippians 1:6 NIV

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry 
it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ultimately it is God’s plan for us to become like His son:

Romans 8:29 (The Message)

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the 
outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life 
of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the 
original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that 
decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling 
people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis 
with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them 
to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. 

Even when the odds seem stacked against us. Even when we are suffering and have a broken spirit. Take to heart this promise from God which held true for Joshua and will hold true for us today.

Joshua 1:5 (NLT)

No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with 
you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

God says:   He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Joshua 1:5)

God has a plan:   To give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

The Good News:   God loves us and sent Jesus to rescue us! (John 3:16)

Remember this truth: no one can separate us from the love of God:

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, 
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of 
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, how can we cope with life in a fallen world? 

The Holy Spirit who indwells in us and who daily desires to fill us 
with hope, will help us cope with suffering and brokenness in a 
fallen world!

I have learned that there is still hope even when I begin to lose it. 
Take these 2 passages below to heart when you are struggling and 
need supernatural help and strength.

Isaiah 40:31 TLB

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount 
up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and 
not faint.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and 
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of 
God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your 
minds in Christ Jesus.

Eternally speaking, only a Spirit filled life in Christ can bring real hope.

Blessings……………….Dave