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Happiness in life seems to be the end goal for many. However, one doesn’t need to live too long to understand that escaping pain and struggle is not only difficult, but impossible.
Even those who seem to be living at the peak of pleasure at all times are struggling with a crisis of nihilism. Life on earth is a great many things, but ‘easy’ isn’t one of them.
Even without a horrific Corrie Ten Boom or Anne Frank experience, we can admit that pain has plagued mankind since the infamous day in the garden. On a large scale, this looks like surging global conflicts that killed nearly 233,000 in 2024.
A microscopic view would give us scenarios like –
- An empty crib in a nursery
- A young widow whose husband sacrificed his life for his nation
- An elderly man sitting alone in a coffee shop
- A graduate scanning the crowds for a father he knows he won’t find
All common pain breaks down into individual hurts that come at a tremendous cost. In the midst of it all, faith is the burning light.
Sometimes, it may be a flicker, and sometimes, a flame. In this article, we will discuss how faith still makes the world go round. Read on to understand its role in rebuilding your life after a crisis.
World of Sorrow and Uncertainty
It takes only a single glance to understand that we live in a broken world, and it breaks us too. Lives are marked by unique struggles and crises. On one hand, there are famines, wars, or natural calamities.
On a more personal level, we find bereavement, mental health issues, relationship difficulties, and a fight against all odds. A period of crisis almost always barges into the door of one’s life, never warning or knocking prior.
The thing about suffering or crisis is that a single event can turn someone’s world upside down. In most cases, it starts out all fun and joyful until matters suddenly turn south. Let’s use the example of a common yet challenging crisis woven into the fabric of modern existence.
Suppose an average American family decides to take a road trip to the Rockies. The stunning natural formations and panoramic views are one surefire way to reconnect with the divine. Nature has its own special way of uplifting our souls toward a higher power.
As such, everyone is excited and gears up to enjoy a drive through the vibrant city of Colorado Springs. It’s full of varied terrain and provides easy access to the Rockies.
Singing and humming, the journey seems to be going well until a vehicle from behind suddenly crashes. Even before those inside could realize what happened, things black out in the wake of a rear-end collision.
The Aftermath of the Crisis
According to the Springs Law Group, rear-end collisions are among the most common types of road accidents in Colorado Springs. The type of crash we just described can lead to life-altering injuries. The most common among them is whiplash due to the sudden jerk of the head and neck.
The severity will depend on the force of the crash. What if our passengers suffer whiplash, spinal cord damage, and brain trauma? It may take weeks or months to recover. The negligent tailgating behavior of the driver behind calls for the services of a car accident lawyer in Colorado Springs.
The victims deserve to be compensated for their injuries, emotional trauma, lost wages, etc. In the midst of it all, an even deeper crisis may occur (at least for a short while). It’s natural to have questions regarding the incident.
Just a happy easy-going family trying to enjoy a getaway. The age-old question comes up as to why bad things happen to good people. In such a situation, only faith can act as an anchor no matter how counterintuitive it all seems.
The Different Faces of Faith in the Wilderness
In the first half of 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 18,720 people died in a motor vehicle crash. Fatalities may have declined on an overall scale, but the statistics do not affect the fate of those who passed.
Moreover, their loved ones may be left behind with an aching void wherein echoes the question, “Why?” Let’s understand what role faith plays during a crisis.
We will especially focus on how faith can help rebuild one’s life after a crisis. Here’s the point of view of one of the injured passengers from our example.
Strength to Persevere
Any crisis situation threatens to shatter our strength and perseverance. However, without these two components, it is impossible to recover. When we say that faith provides the strength to persevere, we’re not referring to a wishy-washy idea.
Faith is a solid, often unshakeable conviction that one’s life is governed by a sovereign divine. It is the substance of things hoped for, which means there is a basis to gather strength in it.
Individuals with faith, even as a grain of mustard seed, push through the crisis because their focus is on a positive outcome. So, our injured passenger would reason that the fact they’re still alive is cause enough to persevere.
It means their story is not over yet. They will want to get to the other side so they can experience more of what life has to offer.
Meaningful Suffering
Another crucial aspect of faith is to find a sense of purpose in all of life’s events. The scenario we previously described is one where the victims had little control over their fate.
In such circumstances, faith looks not to the absence of suffering but to the meaning of it. This enables an individual to stand on those precious words – the momentary affliction is preparing an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
This may seem to go against all our natural senses, but let’s take a closer look. If one considers any crisis to be permanent instead of momentary, what hope is left for recovery? It stands to reason that if all pain is wasted, then hedonistic pleasure is more meaningful.
However, we observe through life that adversity is a greater teacher than prosperity. When the anvil of crisis falls on an individual, it sharpens and refines them into who they’re meant to be. We are all products of life’s various experiences, good or bad.
The call of faith is to let the crisis mold us, and not harden our hearts. Faith declares that the suffering will not be meaningless in the end, and that further fuels hope and perseverance. If anything, it will become a testimony that will bring comfort and hope to others in their time of crisis.
Community Support
Those with a strong support network or community have another reason to choose faith. From friends and family to legal and medical professionals, everyone becomes one unit extending care and emotional strength.
It is true that as social beings, we cannot do life alone. Our faith-filled passenger would look at their support network and see it as a means through which their faith is reinforced. It’s as if the divine has intervened through a strong community that is there through thick and thin.
Moreover, this faith translates into trust in the professionals working on their behalf. There is a sense of belonging, reassurance, and validation that their suffering matters and will be fairly compensated.
Finally, the good book says that if we faint in the day of adversity, our strength is small. The truth is, adversity has myriads of faces and it seldom shows them one at a time.
Consider the 110 million displaced worldwide or the 200,000 children in Mali at risk of starvation. Sometimes, it can seem like everything is falling apart.
It is only when we overcome our personal crises through faith can we look to larger issues. So, push through, persevere, and rebuild your life from the ground up.
