Finding Strength, Beauty, and Peace in Life's Challenges

What's up, guys? Welcome to Demo with Moe. I'm your host, monique Simmons. We'll be discussing dating, engaged and married objectives from a young Christian's perspective. Are you guys ready? Let's dive in. Hey, what's up, guys? Welcome to a new episode of Demo with Moe. I am your host, monique Simmons, and today we are going to be discussing. Life can be hard and beautiful. I know that may, to some of you, sound absolutely crazy, and I know to some of you, that may sound totally relatable to the year you've had or the past few years you've had, and you may totally understand exactly what I am saying. For the past few weeks, I have been seeing a lot of posts and a lot of memes being shared on different social media platforms about people not wanting to experience a year like 2023 again, and I get it. 2023 has been a hard year for a lot of people, myself included, so I'm not going to be speaking as someone who is on the outside looking in and just saying you know you should see the good in all things, and things can be beautiful if you have the right mindset or shift your perspective, as if I'm someone who has no idea of what it's like to go through hard times or difficult times or to struggle, and you're just ready for a fresh start, you're ready for new things to happen in your life, you're ready for the hard times to be over with? Because I totally understand and I totally relate, even if we're going through completely different things, completely different perspectives on two totally different sides of the world, even if our situations look completely different. Hard times are hard times and difficult things hurt. It just hurts, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, no matter what your story is. Because, again, your story may not look like my story, your story may not look like your neighbor or your friend's story or to the other listeners that may be listening to this. Someone always has it worse off than someone else. That will always be the case as long as we're in this sinful, fallen world. But I want you to know when we're going through, no matter where or who we are, it hurts and it's hard and it's difficult and we want it to be over and we wish things would be better. We all have that in common. But I do want to talk about on today. Life can be hard, but it can also be beautiful. Those two things can hold duality. They both can be true. At the same time, we can be having issues in our finances and we can be struggling to make ends meet, but we can be having such a beautiful experience with our children and just seeing them thrive and do great things in our lives. We can be struggling in relationships with our families or with our friends, or maybe even with your partner or your spouse, but we're doing great on our job and we're receiving promotions and acknowledgment and we're growing the way we were set in our goals the previous year to grow the way we wanted to grow. We might be feeling like we're thriving in our relationship with God and we just feel so ever close to Him, but for some reason we feel like something is missing in other areas of our life, but we just can't put our finger on it. So again, life can be hard, but it can also be beautiful, and that is one of the things that I think we overlook, especially as Christians. We think and I don't want to speak for everyone, but a lot of times we think only one can be true at a time Either life has to be hard and not only can be going through, and that's the only way it can be, or life can only be beautiful and nothing is going wrong in my life and everything is good and there are no storms and no difficulties and all my relationships are good and my finances are straight and my relationship with God is good and I'm not struggling and my mind is right and I have peace and everything is up and straight and narrow and everything is all good across the board. But that's not true and that's not realistic, and God never promised that to us. He promised us that we would struggle in this fallen world, but he also promised us that he would, as believers, that he would deliver us from all of those things. Psalm 34 and 19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God delivers them from them all. And it's such a true statement because, again, we're in this fallen world, we're going to go through things on this side, but I've never faced anything that God did not deliver me from or be with me in the midst of it, while I'm going through it, until he brought me out on the other side. So, again, life can be hard and beautiful at the same time. I'm going to read a few scriptures that have encouraged me along this journey because again, I want to remind you and also encourage you that you are not alone. If you have been rocking with me, if you have been following along this journey, if you have been listening to this podcast, I really try to be as transparent as I can with sharing the things that I feel like God wants me to share, encourages me to share, and that I feel comfortable sharing. I don't even really want to say comfortable sharing, because sometimes God wants me to share things that I don't always feel comfortable in my flesh sharing, but I know that it will bless someone and help someone on their journey, and that was the whole purpose of starting this podcast. So sometimes I do things that are outside of my comfort zone, but that is God's way of stretching me and blessing someone else, so I do that. But these past two years 2022 and 2023, have been two of my personal hardest years on my Christian journey, just in my walk with God, for various reasons. One of those main reasons is relationships with family, and I have some estranged relationships with family members who I love. I miss and I would love for those relationships to be better, but they are what they are and it's not because I want them to be that way, but they are what they are and it has taken a toll on me to do things in a healthy way, to learn how to set boundaries, to learn how to stand up for myself, to learn how to have a voice, to learn how to be who God has called me to be in different areas of my life, because you know, it's easy to continue to do things the way that they've always been done, but to grow and be who God has called you to be and to learn how to apply the things that you've learned in therapy. It can be hard. I don't ever want to come on this mic and talk to you guys, because I always encourage people to go to therapy and I always encourage people in their relationship with God and I always encourage you to do the work. These are things you've heard me say a thousand times over, but I don't ever want to get on this mic and say those things as if it's easy. I don't never want it to come across that way, because it has not been easy for me and I know it won't be you either. Again. That's why life can be hard, but it can be beautiful as well, because even in the midst of me doing those things that were hard for me and things aren't necessarily the way that I want them to be. I know, because I did things the way God wanted me to do them and I'm honoring my relationship with Him and unrelationship with myself and doing that hard work that I've learned in therapy, I know that an end is going to be what it's supposed to be, even if it's not the way that I want it to be right now, and it's just staying and not giving up because right now it's hard. So again I say to you life can be hard and it can be beautiful, because in a moment things can be hard and it can be like it's not going to work out and things won't get better than what they are in a moment. But I encourage you to have faith if you have a personal relationship with God and if you are a believer in your trust in God. I encourage you because faith is believing what you cannot see, not based on your circumstances right now, not based on the external things that you can see with your physical and natural eyes, but having the faith to know if I've done what you said in your work, if I've done the work and I've trusted you and you said should do, and I'm trusting you to lead me in life in the direction for my life, and I'm doing your will, I'm leaving a rest in your hands, in spite of what it looks like. Because what it looks like, I want to go back and undo everything I've done. Because of what it looks like, I want give up and give in. Because of what it looks like, I want to stop doing things your way and I want to go back to doing things my way. But my way is what got me here in the first place, having faith in trusting God, that even though it looks like what it looks like right now, I know in the end it's going to be what it should be. Well, monique, how do you know it's going to be what it should be? Where do you get that from? I get it from God's Word Because, again I told you, the last two years have been two of the hardest years in my walk. So I've had to really learn how to depend, lean and trust God. So that mean I had to really get in my Word. I really had to be in fellowship with other believers. I really had to talk and pray and spend time with God, not just some generic. Let me check out the box to say I spent time with God today. But let me really get close to God, let me commune with Him, let me spend time with Him, let me hear from Him, let me talk to Him, let me tell Him about what's going on in my mind and in my heart and my thoughts. Let me tell Him how hard this has been for me and how I'm struggling, but I'm trusting Him in spite of so. I want to give you guys a few scriptures that have encouraged me along this journey and I hope they do the same thing for you. So then, when life gets hard for you, or even if you're, just like me, missed of hard times right now, that even while you're in the midst of hard times, you can also see the beauty, because you can get past what you're in in a moment, but you can look to what's to come, you can have hope and you can even see those beautiful moments even in the midst of. Because, just because one area of your life is hard, because you can begin to focus on that one area If my finances is hard, all I'm thinking about is my finances. I'm struggling in my finances, I can't pay my bills. I'm always. I never have enough money, money, money, money, money. But what about your relationship with your partner? But what about your job? What about your friends in the village that you have to support you? What about your children? What about your health? What about your church family? What about your neighbors? What about the vehicle you have outside that you can drive? What about your right mind that you can get up and think for yourself and take care of yourself? What about all of the things that are going well in your life? But your focus is on that one area, thank you. Or you're having issues with your family. Yeah, I have issues with my family. But what about the other people, my chosen family, the people in my life who choose to love me, my friends, my partner, my spouse, my children, the people on my job, the people in my church, the people who choose to show up for me day after day, day after day? What about those people? So again, life can be hard, but it can also be beautiful if we choose to see the beauty in the midst of the hard times. So this first scripture is Romans 20. For we know that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord, for them that are called according to His purpose, man in the midst of hard times, and you are reminded that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord. So, even when my finances are stretched, even when my relationships with my family or my partner is in right, even when I'm struggling, I feel stuck on my job, I can remember that all things work together. Like me struggling on my job, when I'm struggling in my finances, when I'm struggling with my partner, all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord. All of this is working together for the good of me. All of this is working together for the good. When the tears are falling, when I feel like giving up, all of this is working together for my good. Begin to talk to yourself. That's what David used to do. When the sons, like I, get into the sons, because sometimes I feel like David, like it's a battle. Some days David would just be crying. Like beginning to encourage yourself. You would think he's talking to other people. David is talking to himself. Like sometimes you got to remind yourself who you are, who you are. Begin to speak the description to your soul and into your mind and remind yourself All of this is working together for my good. Yes, I'm having a hard time. Yes, I'm struggling. Yes, I feel like giving up. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I am sick of this. Yes, I don't want to know more of this, but all of this is working together for my good. I know God has my best interest at heart and I know this is working together for my good, lord. I am tired, but I know this is working together for my good, so it helps you to go on a little bit more. The next one is second Corinthians 12, verses 9 and 10. If you know me those of you who know me personally and listening to this, those of you who have been following the podcast for a while and know me through the podcast you know this is my favorite, my absolute favorite scripture, and it's got me through some very hard times in my life. This is Paul, the apostle Paul. He said to me it's sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power rests on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses and insults and hardships and persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong. Y'all that thing feed my soul every time I read it. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses and insults and hardships when they persecute me, when they talk about me in difficulties, when I'm struggling, when I'm going through hard times, I will boast them more gladly. That means I will be glad when I'm going through, not glad because I'm happy that I'm having hard times, but I'm glad because I know that when I am weak I am strong. Not because I'm strong, not because Monique is strong, not because Paul was strong, but because he knew that God was strong in his weakness. When I am weak, god is strong. But when I'm puffed up, I think I got all together. When I got it all figured out, I don't need God. God is not happy when we're prayerful and we think we got it all figured out. Because we think we got it all figured out. You got your money together, you got your relationships together, you got your job together, you got your mind together, what you need God for, you got it all figured out. But when we're weak, baby, when we're going through, that's when we finally surrender, lord, I come to you. I can't do it. I can't handle it. It's too much for me. When I am weak, god is strong. That shouldn't encourage you. You can boast in your weaknesses. You don't have to be walking around man, I used to do this, thank God for growth. I used to walk around here knowing that I'm going through, knowing that I'm having a hard time, knowing that at any moment I could fall apart, but walking around here thinking that I'm so strong, you so strong, because, especially as black women, black people, peer people of color period, but a black Christian woman, I have to be strong. I have to portray that I have it all together. I'm not doing that anymore. That's why I'm able to be vulnerable and share about the things that I go through, the hard times that I face, even if I'm not giving you specific details, because I want you to realize you don't have to do that anymore. You are not alone. I am not alone, but I can boast about my weaknesses because when I am weak, god is strong. It shows up for me. God shows up for Monique. Monique says I am weak boy, I can't handle this. These family relationships are just getting too hard for me. It's too much for me. I don't know why I can't get this right. I need you to come in, and God comes in and he shows up for me because his grace is sufficient. Even if the relationships aren't fixed, even if everything ain't made right, god will come in because his grace is sufficient for me, meaning he's enough for me Even if your circumstances don't change. Right now, in the midst of, he is enough for you while you're still dealing with it. Isaiah 41 and 10,. Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand when we're going through. We don't have fear because he's with us, he is our God, he will strengthen us, he will help us and he will uphold us even in the midst of. So, yes, life can be hard because we're going through some hard things, but it also can be beautiful because we have a God who is with us, who will not leave us, who will strengthen us for what we need while we're going through. But he will also uphold us, meaning he won't let us fall. Lord, lord, I thank you. He won't let us fall while we're going through these hard times. Philippians 4, verse 6 and 7, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds. In Christ Jesus, he said you don't have to be anxious. Why don't I have to be anxious? Because I can come to your prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let my requests be known unto Him. So I don't have to be anxious, because I can go to God, my Father, and let my requests be known to Him and I can thank Him. And why cannot I go to Him and thank Him and let my requests be known to Him? Because the peace of God, his peace which surpasses all understanding, understanding the people in my house can't understand it, you can't understand, nobody can understand it Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Lord, have mercy. So I don't have to be anxious, because I can go talk to God, tell Him all the things that I'm going through and I can thank Him because, though, that after I get done talking to Him, he's going to give me His peace that surpasses all understanding and going to guard my heart and my mind. So the things that I wanted to worry. I was able to take it to Him and thank Him in advance, because I already know what he promised me, and His promise was that he was going to give me His peace. That surpasses all understanding. It was not only going to guard my mind, but it was also going to guard my heart. Lord, have mercy. Have mercy. I'm going to read it in the 29th, 7th through 13th, for I know the plans I have for you to clear the Lord, plans for good and for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will all upon me and come and praise me. Matthew 28 through 30. I love this verse Come to me all who labor in our heavy lay and I will give you rest. How many of you right now, listening to this, are laboring in our heavy lay? He said come to me and I will give you rest. You don't have to go to nobody else. You have to go to nobody else. So many of y'all are tired. I hear y'all. I hear y'all talking about it. I see you posting about it. I see you shouting from the rooftops. You are tired, you are exhausted. You're physically tired, mentally tired, emotionally tired. I've had so many people tell me that this year, from just personal conversations I've had with people seeing it on social media, I've just you guys are tired, you are tired. God says come to me and I will give you rest. When the last time you went to God for your rest? You don't have to tell me, just be honest with yourself when the last time you went to God for your rest? We go everywhere else. We'll go on vacation, we'll go take a nap, we go to the spa, we'll hang out with the girls or the boys. When the last time you went to God for your rest? Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. That's where you really need to rest. Your soul needs to rest your soul. That's why you still be tired when you come back from vacation. That's why you still be tired when you come back from the spa. That's why you still be tired when you wake up from a long night of sleep. Your soul needs rest, for my yoke is easy in my burdens light. God has given us the instructions. His ways are not our ways, so we don't even sense us and we go everywhere, but to Him, to our source. Now, if you're not a believer, I don't expect this to make sense to you or for you to understand, and that's no knock or anything to you Because you're not following Him. He's not the person that's leading your life. But if you are a believer, if you say that you are a Christian and you are going everywhere, but to your source, expect to be tired, but God has given us the manual, he has given us the instruction. If only, if only we would go to Him. And he's not like ridiculing us in any of these verses, he's just saying I want to take care of you, I'm here for you. Call me, come to me, cry out to me, I will answer you. Seek me, you will find me. Like in all of these verses that I read. It's just, it's so encouraging For when life is hard and if we do these things, we can really experience where life can be hard and beautiful. Every morning and I've been doing this since the pandemic, so over three years now, but every morning, before everyone wakes up in my home, I get up and I spend time with God. I read my Bible, I pray, and it's not. It's not long, you know, sometimes on the weekends a little longer, but during the week it's not really long. But that's just my time where I prioritize Him in my relationship with Him. Because I learned something over the pandemic I needed that, I needed Him, and not only did I need Him, I wanted Him. You know it makes a difference. It makes a difference. But sometimes I always like wonder, because these last two years have been so hard for me. I just wonder if I had not started that being intentional in my relationship with Him and spending that time with Him over three years ago, what it would be like for me these last two years without that, because life has been hard for me but it's also been beautiful because I've had this intentional time with Him where I've been able to rest in Him, where I've been able to connect with Him. And I'm just imagining, for those of you who may be listening, if you haven't been able to have this intentional time with Him for whatever your reason is no again, this is no judgment to you. I hope you begin to afford, especially going into the New Year. I hope you choose to prioritize your relationship with God. I'm talking about a personal, intimate relationship with Him, not just being a Christian, not just giving your life to Christ and making that declaration, but I'm talking about every day growing in your personal, intimate relationship with Him. But I hope you can get to the place where you can experience that life can be hard man, life are difficult, life be life, but life can also be beautiful as well in the midst of hard times. I hope this episode today has encouraged you in some way. Share with a friend, family member, someone you love. Wherever you listen to podcasts, remember to rate, review and subscribe and remember I love you but God loves you so much more and I'll see you next week. Bye, guys. I hope you guys have enjoyed Follow me on Facebook at demo with Moe. If you have any questions you would like answered here live on my podcast, email them to me at demo with Moe at gmailcom. That's D-E-M-O-W-I-T-H-M-O at gmailcom.