Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell of 2819 Church encouraged Christians facing hardship during a recent message on TBN, reminding us that Christ remains faithful even when life feels overwhelming.
“I want to speak to you, my brother and my sister, who’s going through a very difficult season,” Mitchell said. “Maybe you’re dealing with persecution. Maybe you’re dealing with betrayal. Maybe you’re dealing with something that has just crushed you down to the floor. And all you know right now is pain and tears and hardship.”
Drawing from his own testimony, Mitchell recalled how God transformed his life after he cried out to Him in desperation. He later shared how Proverbs 3:5-6 became a defining passage in his walk with Christ.
“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. And lean not on your own understanding. But in all of your ways, acknowledge me. And I, here comes the promise, will direct your path,” Mitchell quoted. He added, “Trust God even when you can’t trace him.”
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Mitchell urged believers not to carry the burden of trying to understand every circumstance on their own.
“Don’t try to figure everything out on your own,” he said. “There’s some things you will go through in this life you cannot figure out on your own.”
Instead, he encouraged Christians to pursue a close relationship with Jesus, trusting that He will reveal His purpose in His timing.
“You know what you’re supposed to be doing? Developing an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And He will lead you into everything He has already called for you to do and purposed for you to do.”
Mitchell also reflected on one of the most painful seasons of his ministry, sharing that he nearly walked away because of the weight of hardship and criticism. Looking back, he said he now realizes how much would have been lost had he quit.
He reminded believers that Christ is our refuge in every trial.
“You and I serve the one who is a strong tower,” Mitchell said. “You can run to Him in the middle of what you’re going through, and there you will find comfort, and you will find strength, and you will find guidance, and you will find answers.”
Mitchell closed with a reminder that no follower of Christ has to face suffering alone.
“So my brother and sister, don’t try to go through this alone another day. I want to encourage you to run into the arms of the one who loves you and who is to you and I a strong tower.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
