These are tough times and people are dealing with it in different ways -- some people give in and lose their faith, while others like Jonathan Basden have amped up their Job-like resilience which is the only thing he says keeps him going after losing his job and despite applying to a number of places, three months later he's still unemployed.

The 30-year-old father of three says he has found himself having to turn up his faith level a notch higher hoping for a break through, especially after his mother fell ill and his younger brother was shot and killed, all within the same week.  Basden found himself not only financially stretched trying to pay the medical bills and pitch in for the funeral but also emotionally drained.

"Many people don't know how hard these times can be.  It's not even about the money losses at this point, it's about how much people are hurting.  I guess it is true God didn't promise this would be easy, but really, at times like this you wonder where He is and why isn't He helping me?  Even though I feel like this -- especially with school opening and not knowing how I will take care of my kids, I still know God is there.  I have to be like Job and get through this experience.  I think it's important to believe in God."

Basden says he understands that in these tough times people are desperate and it's getting harder for them to keep blindly believing, but you have to.
These are not the times to despair, but to instead put on your armor of faith, and keep your eyes focused on God says Pastor Cranston Knowles, co-pastor of Abundant Life Bible Ministries.  Much like Jesus calling to His disciple Peter to walk to Him on the rough seas, he says it is only when you stop focusing on God and become distracted by the danger around you that you lose your way and begin to drown.

"It is important to focus on God no matter what," says the minister.  "How to have faith in tough times is a topic we as pastors have to face and address not even just on Sundays, but everyday when people come in looking for reassurance.  There are so many people coming to us looking for hope and a message from God telling them what to do and how to have faith and hope in these tough times.  Many people ask, 'How do I handle the situation when I lose my job?  When my dad is in the hospital and we can't meet the bills,  what do you do when nothing is going 'right'?  It is easy as pastors to say, 'God blesses, God blesses' but if they don't see it, they lose faith in the midst of all this."

Pastor Knowles says in times like these the church needs to get back to teaching its members a clear message about what God and His blessings are.  He says too many people think it is only having good things come your way and everything going smoothly when the blessings are flowing, but he says the "bad" situations are just as blessed as the good ones.  And that you should look at it as God preparing something for you and if you are not ready for it spiritually, emotionally or physically, you will not appreciate it or even make it through.

"He is preparing you for a great blessing, or giving you the courage to face a storm, so it is important as a Christian to see everything as a blessing and learn from it.  As a nation we should be blessed since we recognize God as Lord and Savior.  We sometimes forget because we get distracted,  but this is such a blessed nation as long as we have God on the throne."

The religious leader says many people ask why things are going poorly for them if they are acknowledging God, and why they are still in danger, but he says these are questions they should not be asking.

"God said the destination where you are going will be wonderful, but He never promised the journey would be safe or danger free," he says.  I am not a preacher who believes God will keep you out of harm's way.  Sometimes you need to feel something but even so, God will equip you to survive and get out of danger if you believe and follow Him.  The goal is to get at the end of the storm and be better and stronger.  The enemy's [goal] is to destroy you.   So do not let him win because God has bigger plans for you."

Pastor Knowles says it should be the goal of a religious leader to see past the natural and into the spiritual so they understand the trials are for a moment and if they pass through it, they will find reward. Bishop John N. Humes, national overseer of the Church of God, says often times there are many things in a person's life that overcome them and make them feel like there is no hope.

"Sometimes you lose confidence in our government, country or state but that does not mean we should ever lose faith in our God.  Much like God will take care of the sparrows and the flowers of the field, He will take care of you, His child.  These tough times are not a sign of God abandoning you but rather it is a sign of Him testing you."

The bishop says this is a time of testing not cursing.  `It is at times like this that he encourages people to acknowledge their gifts rather than curse their shortcomings.  He says it is when you take your eye off  the prize and stop appreciating the small things that true unhappiness and misfortune occur.

"God gives us what we need and when we start looking for more is when we are in trouble.  We are in hard times and being mad or jealous of others will not help you.  During this time you should be looking to God to solve your problems.  It may be easy to say, but truly trusting in God is something we all need to work on.  We are doing more harm than good by stealing, killing and harming others.  This is the time to hone our gifts and multiply our blessings.  This is the time to show your resilience and practice the faith in God you were brought up to have."

Golden Gates World Outreach Ministries senior pastor, Bishop Ros Davis says these are the times when Christians should be shining their brightest because there are people in need everywhere, starting within your own homes.  When you are down on your luck, can't catch a break and feel nothing good is coming your way, he says are the times that really test the quality of God's people.  As a result, you should be proving yourself a true child of God more than ever rather than complaining and cursing God.

"This is the time when we should be shining like a beacon the most," says the pastor.  "We should not be losing hope and faith now.  You have to remain strong in your faith because if you lose it you have nothing and you will indeed fall.  God has not failed you before so why should He start now?  These are days of hardship, but these are not unfamiliar times.  We have been here before as a nation and God got us through.  He will do it again as long as we believe."

The bishop says the hurting need to realize they are not alone in their struggle.   He says people do not have to feel abandoned and rejected as God still favors them, but the tough times are His way of making people see what is the most important thing -- trusting in Him.

"We have become too reliant on the dollar and getting things with ease so-much-so we forget it is God who blessed us to be able to do all we have.  Stripping so many of us in so many ways is to help us to refocus."

Instead of lamenting the times, Bishop Davis says people should be finding themselves drawn closer to their families and learning to repair them.  He says people should be seeing who their true friends are and learning more about themselves.  Learning to use your God-given talent in the way God meant His people to is also something he says they should be learning at this time.
Pastor Davis says using your innate resource will help you to survive and find peace within yourself.  Even though people may not have much in many regards today the minister says it is now more than ever when people should be opening their homes and hearts to others in need.

"We can now appreciate what they go through and when we become more blessed we should not forget where we came from," said Bishop Davis.  "This is a season of testing and lessons.  We have been a blessed people and sometimes we need to remember it is God who made us so.  We need to learn to be more family oriented and compassionate to others.  These hard times are the perfect setting to make us humble and grateful again.  All we need to do is just not lose faith and always have hope.  So do not let these times get you down and always remember that God is still on your side."

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