We all face times when our confidence in God and his promises are shaken. Though we know God is faithful and wants to give us great and precious promises (1 Peter 5:4, KJV), still it can feel like our world has been turned upside down. The outcome of these circumstances often leaves us feeling hurt, angry, or even scared.

This week on the blog, I have invited my friend Gina Collins to share some of her experiences with us, how she re-discovered her confdence in God in the midst of those times when her world has fallen apart. As you read along, be sure to also check out Gina’s book “The Last Leaf” – which can be found here on Amazon.

First, a little more about Gina…

Gina Collins is a wife, mother, author and friend of the Lord. Her life changed forever when she was diagnosed with cancer in December 2014. During the months that followed as she went through chemotherapy and radiation, she learned to depend on God and his Word to make it through each day. She saw God’s faithfulness and strength through this struggle and wrote about it. She has written two books since that time, The Last Leaf and Begin Again, and she is currently working on her third. Gina lives in rural Kentucky with her husband, Scott, and their five children.

How to Build Confidence in God When Life Falls Apart

Life can be hard, very hard, sometimes. Trouble doesn’t care if you think you’ve got it all together or not. You can get hit hard, when you least expect it. Maybe it’s a loved one who has cancer, your child that is sick, a broken marriage or being unemployed. There are plenty of ways life can throw us for a loop. These trials can bring us to our knees in desperation and cause us to question our confidence in God.

During the last eight years, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had three surgeries, I lost three other family members to cancer and heart conditions, my son was in a car accident which gave him a brain injury and left him unable to finish high school, my daughter was severely injured in a car accident and developed PTSD as a result, my youngest son was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and I was in several car accidents and ended up with a back injury. In fact, my husband was in the hospital for almost 6 weeks because of his injuries, so we had several weeks without our oldest two children while our daughter had to stay with relatives. During this time, my youngest son was constantly bullied at school and developed severe anxiety.

This past year also held many struggles for my family. Our daughter developed severe depression and attempted suicide. Also, I had a second series of surgery to remove the remnants of the first surgery due to a recurrence of cancer. One of my daughters was in a car accident that resulted in a brain injury and emotional trauma. My husband was in a bad motorcycle accident just weeks before our wedding anniversary.

When these trials happen, we can feel like our lives are falling apart. We may question whether we can make it through these challenges. What I have found is that the more I trust God through these trials, the stronger my relationship with Him becomes. He becomes my lifeline and my source of strength.

1. Find your focus.

If you are going through something difficult, take a few minutes to pray and talk with God. He will often remind you of what He has promised in His Word and make you realize that He is in control.

2. Read the Bible.

Reading the Bible is a great way to help you build confidence in God during difficult times. When you read the Bible, you can find encouragement from previous believers. You learn how faithful God was to them and how they trusted Him to help them through difficult times. There is no better place to look for examples of what God can do in a person’s life than in the Bible.

3. Pray.

You might not be in the mood to pray right away. Your mind might be racing with all the reasons why this trial is happening to you. You may be questioning God and wondering where He is in your suffering. But God knows, and He is there. He is listening to every prayer you pray. It may take you a while to get to the point of being able to pray for someone else, but it’s worth it when that time comes.

4. Keep reading and praying.

One of the greatest things you can do when life falls apart is to keep reading and praying. You might not feel like it is doing any good, but it is. God is hearing your prayers and He is in control even when it doesn’t feel like He is. Keep trusting Him and have faith that He will take care of you. He loves you and He wants what is best for you.

These are some of the things I learned in life. It’s not easy to go through trials and difficult times. But when we trust God through them, we come out stronger on the other side.

About Gina Collins

Gina Collins is the author of The Last Leaf, a memoir about her battle with cancer, and Begin Again, the prequel to The Last Leaf, which details the events that led up to her diagnosis. Both books are currently available for Kindle and in paperback on her website at www.ginacollins.com