2. Surviving Your Perfect Storm
How to Deal with Life’s Problems

3. Realize that suffering occurs for various reasons and do not obsess on the question of “why”.

4. All people may suffer from living in an environment of natural law (Lk
All people may suffer as the result of their own free moral agency (1 Pet. 4:15).
All people may suffer as a consequence of bad choices other people make (Heb. 12).
People may suffer because they are targeted by Satan as a test of faith (Job 1-2).
People may suffer because of divine judgment against sin (Gen. 3).

5. Use your faith in God

6. Suffering has caused many people to turn away from God.
Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (1 Peter 4:19)

7. Pray to God for strength and relief
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. (James 5:13)
Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (2 Corinthians 12:8)
“Let this cup pass from me!”

8. Look to God’s word for comfort and hope
Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

9. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

10. Determine to become better through the experience of suffering

11. Suffering can make us spiritual stronger.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

12. Suffering can make us more compassionate and helpful to others.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

13. Suffering can awaken in us a longing for a greater hope which God provides.
Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

14. Since we cannot wish suffering away, there are only two options
Since we cannot wish suffering away, there are only two options. We can perish in it or we can survive. Which do you choose?