There are times when my heart is overflowing with abundant
joy that it is plain as day to detect, but there are also moments of my life
that my heart is not overflowing with joy and seems to be stagnant. This is
inevitable. Every one of us will experience stages in our lives that are less
pleasurable than we long for. No one necessarily wants to be sad, going through
the motions, or in a deadlock. We want to experience joy, happiness, a purpose,
and ultimately a fulfilling relationship with the Lord. No one truly finds
great pleasure in stagnant segments of life.
I don’t know about you, but during these moments I feel,
well, dull; like I am unable to pull myself up from it and I don’t have the
slightest idea of how to get back to where I was with God before this grueling encounter.
I feel like I have no purpose and true joy from the Lord seems to have gone out
the window and maybe your experience looks a little different.
Let me fill you in on a little secret. It’s not God, it’s
you. Oh, did I just openly say that? It seems a little harsh, but it’s the truth.
My intention is not to offend or hurt you by any means. My intention is to
bring truth to you and additionally, to myself.
It’s not us as a person. It’s not our character. It’s our perspective,
our vision, or frame of view. We see these stagnant instances as negative, daunting,
and at times hopeless. But what God wants us to comprehend is that we are
off-track. He is giving us a clear indication that we have lost our perspective
about our lives and purpose. He is giving us a chance to grow our faith in Him
and to surrender to his refinement of our character.
//
So, now that we know the truth about these quiet moments,
what’s next?
Over the past few years I have come up with some starting
points for stagnant moments:
1)
Pray.
Talk to God about how you are feeling, what is going on in your head, or just
call out His name. As 1 Peter 5:7 commands, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (NIV). He
isn’t far away. He is close, nearby to listen to you and comfort you. And might
I remind you that God is always near even when you do not feel that He is. Job
34:21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of
a man, And He sees all his steps” (NAS).
2)
Seek.
In times of drought and stagnation we must remember that we have the truth at
hand, the Bible. We should seek His Word and teachings by digging into the
Bible day after day. Sometimes I find myself digging in the Word but not “feeling”
much of anything. Don’t be upset with yourself for this feeling. Just continue
to read His Word and pursue Him. We have gotten off-track but by keeping in His
Word, seeking Him in all we do, say, and think eventually, we will begin to
feel God’s presence both physically and spiritually.
3)
Be still.
Quiet yourself before God. This takes some time getting used to. Our lives are
so busy and that is often why our perspective of life and purpose derails. We
don’t take time to just “be”. Take 5 minutes each day to “be still”. When your
mind wanders (and it will!) draw your attention back on to a characteristic of
God or imagine walking alongside a lake with the Lord at your side. It seems a
little awkward right now, but this is something that helps me to regain focus
and actually feel God is right here with me. 5 minutes, that’s all. Just try
it!
4)
Do
something. It’s been said that people who are clinically depressed are
often prescribed a dose of “giving”. Although, you may not be clinically
depressed or maybe you are, redirecting your focus onto something or someone
else will help you stop thinking so much and start seeing the true blessings
God has given you. When we help someone in need, whether it be serving at your
local soup kitchen, holding the door for someone, writing an encouraging or
thank you note to someone, or visiting with cute elderly people at the nursing
home, we begin to have a purpose. So, by helping others we
transmit self-focus to others-focused creating in ourselves a purpose, brightening
up someone’s day, and we have opportunities to bring God glory. How awesome! A
3-in-1 deal! The challenge here is to write out a few “Do Something”
opportunities and set a date of when to accomplish each “Do Something” activity.
Trust me, you can do it and I promise that it might be frightening at first but
in the end you will feel joy.
5)
Lastly, praise
God! Finding something to praise God for in the midst of a drought may be
tough. We often think of the negative things and why we are still stuck in this
stagnant place. So, I challenge you (and myself) during the course of each day
find at least three things to praise God for. It could be something like the
sun shining, for protecting you from a car accident, or something as simple as
the pure heavenly cup of coffee! Praise Him in the morning, afternoon, and
evening. Praise Him for He is faithful and keeps His promises.
//
God is waiting to see what we do during this time. He wants
to see how our faith has grown since the last stagnation and how much we trust
in Him. God is with us during these moments. He really is (even if you don’t
feel as if that’s true). Sometimes I have to convince myself that God is with
me at all times, cheering me on to fight the good fight, to keep running the
race at hand. It’s tough. It’s draining. And if we are all honest, there are phases
when we just want to quit. But don’t. Remind yourself of what James 1:2-4 affirms, "My brethren, count it all joy when you
fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces
patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking nothing" (NKJV).
You will get through
this. You will regain your purpose. You will feel God’s presence again.
He is with you, Always.
Peace & <3,
Samantha