When life feels hopeless

I was inspired to write this blog post after reading https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2019/11/02/why-does-god-allow-suffering/

If you haven’t visited Dawn’s blog please stop by she always has an encouraging Word.

Sometimes you are in a season where you feel awful things are happening and everything seems hopeless and everyone is annoying and just -oh-my-God-this-is-the-absolute-worst-how-did-I-get-here-I-just-want-to-crawl-in-a-hole-and-cry.

I’ve had my share of those days. I’m there now. I am learning that gratitude is such a powerful practice. The scripture says give thanks in every circumstance; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). YOU ARE STILL HERE. God loves you. His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Remind yourself what you have to be grateful for. There is so much. The devil wants us to stay focus on the negative. The fact that you are reading this blog post right now means you can read, you can see, you can think, you have resources available to you. There are people who don’t have what you have. It’s easy to forget how blessed we are and feel like everything has fallen apart. I’m convicted even as I write this post. Because everything hasn’t fallen apart. It’s just things aren’t going the way I’d like right now. I am still blessed to be who I am and have what I have (1 Corinthians 15:10).  We have to put things in perspective. What are we going to focus on? Are we going to focus on the problem or are we going to focus on our God? God can step into our situation and do a “SUDDENNLY.” Being anxious is only going to magnify the problem. God told us to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6-7).

Don’t play the blame game. Don’t blame God, yourself or anyone else. I am where I am because of the choices I made. No one else. Learn from your mistakes and critically think through how you can make better decisions for your life in the future. Looking forward and being solution focused is what keeps our mind on the positive.

Sometimes when it’s all too much, the best thing to do is unplug. I am a night owl but last night I was so overwhelmed that I just went to bed. If there isn’t anything you can do about your immediate situation at the moment sometimes going to bed is the most powerful thing you can do. If you are the controller type like me, then you will overwhelm yourself trying to “fix it”—turn that situation over to God. It’s also important that you make sure you don’t isolate yourself, but talk to people who are going to encourage you in the Word. Those who have nothing but unconditional love and judgement free understanding for you. Do not feel obligated to allow people to “be there for you” if they are going to come with condemnation.

Check your self-talk. Are you talking defeat? Are you speaking negativity over yourself and situation? Is the internal dialogue running amok right now? Your thoughts dictate how you feel so if you are feeling down then change the way you think. David encouraged himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6). I dare you to lift your hands right now and begin to give God some praise!!!

This ministered to me. I had to take a few seconds myself and give God praise. Hallelujah!!!

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul  will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice (Psalm 34).

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

In the midst of a difficult situation it can be easy to lose focus of who you are. I am the Daughter of the One True King. My identity is not made up of what other people think of me. In fact, what other people think of me has no bearing on who I am and what I can do. Forget what others think of you and focus on what God thinks about you. His thoughts are the only thing that matters.

Look for the lesson in every situation. This has helped me to gain more wisdom. Everything that we go through in life is to teach us something. When you are humbled and, on your face,  you are forced to grow and learn. In every “seemingly awful thing, every disaster, every hardship, every pain, every heart break, there is a lesson to be learned. Some in which we learn the areas in our lives that are sinful before God. It’s not meant to be easy, but if you learn from the lesson and allow it to challenge and transform you it will create character and into the Kingdom Citizen God has called you to be, it will be all worth it when you come out on the other side (Romans 8:28).

Right now, it may feel hopeless, but if you stayed focus on Jesus and trust Him not only will He bring you through you will be a stronger and wiser person at the other side of this storm. Some days are really, really tough but there is one thing I know for sure. I am going to be okay. Because greater is he that is in me that he than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

ENCOURAGING ME AND YOU!