Do you ever find it hard to stay steady when life gets hard? Have you struggled to experience joy? Do you feel like it’s difficult to find reasons to have hope? When life feels heavy, it can be so tough to recognize that God has not left us on our own.

I know that both Mark and I have struggled to cultivate a heart that can see the good on hard days at various points in our life. This is why I’m honored to welcome Dr. Michelle Bengtson onto the podcast today! Michelle has been through some intense health struggles in her life. Nevertheless, she has held on to God’s truth and promises in her work as a podcast host, international speaker, and board-certified clinical neuropsychologist. She’s also the author of the new book Today is Going to Be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How we can use God’s truth to stay steady in the midst of hardships.
• Why we have to be careful about how our emotions can change how we relate to God’s truth.
• The importance of having trusted confidants to support and share our hardships with.
• And how consistent presence in someone’s life leads to an openness to God’s truth.

I hope you are encouraged by this conversation today!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• BONUS: Staying Steady When Life Gets Hard
• Today Is Going to Be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
• Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How To Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
• Dr. Michelle Bengtson’s Website
• Follow Michelle on Facebook and Instagram
• As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks!

My Key Takeaways:

1) Our emotions inform what we believe about our circumstances. When we feel overwhelmed or discouraged in the midst of hardships, it is important to check our emotions against God’s truth. What we are feeling is not always an accurate representation of what is actually happening. It may feel like we are alone or that there is no hope for our situation. However, when we are reminded of God’s promises, the truth is that He has promised to never leave us. We can trust what God says over what we feel in a moment.

2) Reject the message that you are “joy-immune.” This was a core part of Michelle’s story. Even though the enemy may consistently tell you that joy is unreachable and that there is no hope to experience it again, that is not a statement of truth. There is hope and you are not immune to experiencing joy again. In fact, when we are feeling that way, it’s a good flag to remind us to find a trusted person to come alongside us. When we share what we are feeling with someone else, it becomes easier to see our circumstances clearly.

3) Strive for presence. The most valuable way you can help someone going through a hardship, or how someone can help you, is through presence. We often want to jump to giving advice or reminding them of God’s truth, but before we do that, we need to practice presence. By showing up regularly to encourage and let the other person know that they are not alone, we are giving a gift more valuable than words. Like Michelle shows us, we see this in the Bible as well!

About Michelle:

Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, international speaker, media resource on mental health, podcast host, and the author of three bestselling books. Her latest book, Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right, will be released in May. She has over 20 years of experience as a neuropsychologist including treating both children and adults with a variety of medical and mental health disorders. Dr. Bengtson’s passion is combining her professional expertise with her faith to unlock joy and relief, even in the midst of a storm. Michelle and her husband of 34 years live in Greenville, SC. Learn more at https://drmichellebengtson.com/ —