Let’s face it – life has many different seasons. Sometimes things are going great and you’re on cloud nine, while other times it can feel like nothing is going right. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are going to be various obstacles to overcome along the way. We all know this, but surviving and learning to thrive through it…totally different story.
With the Thanksgiving Holiday just behind us, I’ve spoken to several friends and family members who have simply found themselves in a low season even despite looking around and having so many things to be thankful for. Have you ever been there? Yeah, me too. It’s okay. It happens. What we’ve got to do is figure out how to get through those seasons. How to wait and trust the Lord to get us through, but also what we can do to make faith work in our lives.
For starters, accepting that it is okay to be down. We’re humans, after all. We’re going to struggle from time to time. We may lose a few battles. But we can’t stay there. We’ve got to learn to get back up when life kicks us down.
Try focusing on what you DO have, rather than what you don’t. It’s probably common sense, but when you focus on the positives and not the negatives in a situation, it really makes all the difference. What you give attention to will flourish. Do you see the glass half empty or half full? Learn to become a “good-finder”. Someone who CHOOSES to find the good in any and every circumstance. You’d be surprised at how big of a difference this will make.
Grace: [gr`ac] Noun “An accurate, common definition describes grace as the unmerited favor of God toward man.”
https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/grace/
This brings me to the art of giving GRACE. It is usually much easier to give grace to others…but it can be a struggle to provide ourselves with the same level of grace. However, the Bible says that no one is perfect with the exception of Jesus Christ, and that Grace is the ability to give ourselves permission to forgive our own mistakes as Jesus forgave us for our sins. If He can pay the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, we must be willing to learn to forgive ourselves too, or it is dishonoring to God.
This next one can be a hard one. What if you’re in a season of waiting and yet you have people around you who are celebrating the fruition of exactly what you’ve been waiting for? I.e. you’ve been looking for a job without any luck, but then a friend gets their dream job. Are you happy for them? Are you jealous? How is your heart? When we experience these tests, I believe it’s important to remember that God knows the desires of our heart. After all, he’s the one who put them there for a very specific purpose. If we truly trust God and have faith in his divine timing and plan for our life, we should be able to celebrate the victories of those around us without remorse or ill feelings. BUT, again, a lot of this is easier said than done. Which is why I’m writing about it…to let you know that I’ve been in these seasons myself and you’re not alone. Not at all.
Where do you turn when you’re going through struggles? Do you self-medicate? I’m not necessarily talking about drugs or alcohol here. I mean, do you shut down, tune out those around you, stop praying, stop seeking to develop your relationship with the Lord? I’ve done all of the above at times. What I have found personally is that the only way that I truly find hope and satisfaction is through pressing in when things were hard. Doing the things I don’t want to do…like reading my Bible. Praying. Giving God room to work in my heart and in my life. Until I do those things, I’m usually aimlessly trying to fill a void that simply cannot be filled by anything else other than Jesus.
I encourage you, if you’re in a season of waiting…slow down. Take inventory of where you’re at. What’s causing you to feel the way that you feel? Can you choose to do something about it? (Hint: The answer is always YES!)
Spend some quiet time with the Lord and press in to that relationship. Give it some time. I truly believe that He will get you through it.
In the meantime, make sure you’re doing what you can. Be positive. Speak life into your situation. Surround yourself with a good environment of uplifting believers. Don’t neglect self-care and things that bring you joy. You have SO much to be thankful for. Appreciate the wait.
The Abundant life 