If you try to rely on your circumstances for your happiness, you’ll never be happy. We live in a flawed and fallen world full of challenges and, for that matter, evil.

Each and every day, we go head-to-head with situations that challenge our fortitude, our joy, and our peace of mind.

From financial struggles to relationships that become strained to job losses and even COVID-19—we’re never going to experience a life that is without challenges.

I have often been guilty of longing for this kind of “cruise control” life, but I’ve realized that it is only a fantasy; it doesn’t exist on this planet. 

I recently heard a local minister say something to the effect that if we’re waiting for our circumstances to make us happy, we’re going to miss 98 percent of our lives. I think he’s right.

Waiting for perfection is only going to frustrate us and make us increasingly bitter with life and with God. And that’s the last thing we need.

Rather, we need to cling to God more and more each day, relying on him to guide and sustain us through each new challenge in our lives. 

Just as the famous verse John 3:16 says, He loves us dearly and wants the best for those He has called to follow Him. 

In fact, He will work all things together for our benefit (Rom. 8:28).

But it’s up to us to trust him with everything in our lives (Prov. 3:5). He will not fail us if we don’t give up on our faith in Him.

Sure, we’ll walk through some tough times, but if we lean in even closer to Him during these trials, our faith will slowly but surely grow.

Our experiences with God will transform how we view our relationship with Him, and our faith will increase little by little. 

Each successive time we’re faced with a difficult challenge in life, it will be even easier to trust God because we’ll know for certain He’ll come through just as He did the time before.

Remember this important command from God: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24). 

Try committing your day to God and His purposes for your life. Then, no matter the circumstances, you’ll experience more joy and less frustration.