When bills, relationships, and health come crashing down, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find joy in Christ. Listen as Christin Ditchfield joins us to talk about how to persevere when we feel like giving in to our circumstances.

Christin’s own challenges started with mild aches and pains in her knees.

“I was still in my late 20s… I thought it was just me getting old. It turned out to be chronic knee pain that I ended up having surgeries for. I ended up having six surgeries, one after the other, being on bed rest for the better part of two years. At the end of it, I was still in terrible pain.” Christin has lived with this pain for 12 years.

Christin shares what she’s learned about how to persevere in the face of her ongoing pain.

• Physical ailments don’t automatically make you spiritual – God uses it in amazing ways in life but pain by itself won’t bring you closer to Him.

•  God will use your pain to minister to others. Christin explains what happened when she spoke at a women’s event after a surgery.

“I remember being very self-conscious because I had to be helped up to the platform. I spent the first 5-10 minutes explaining and apologizing. After the main session eight different women came up to me on crutches… Because I was in a really dark place, I reached out and found a lifeline somewhere in Scripture that I was then able to share with someone else.”

• Isolation is dangerous when you’re in pain; make sure to distinguish between resting and withdrawing.

• Turn to the Lord instead of His gifts when you are suffering.

• Ask yourself what larger battle God is preparing you for as you face the current one.

• Learn perseverance and commitment in the light seasons to prepare you for future persecution and hostility.

Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; James 5:11

Featured Songs: Strength of My Heart by Rend Collective; I Believe by Chris August; Can’t Be Moved by Jeremy Camp

Highlight : God used my crutches

The battle for perseverance