Growing up, I thought I needed to have specialized training on how to get out of quicksand. You know, like the classic TV shows we would watch as kids like Bugs Bunny and Gilligan’s Island. We thought for sure, if there is anything that will trap us, it would be the random spots of quicksand we would encounter throughout life’s adventures.
The truth is, the closest I have been to anything of the sort is at the beach in which only lasts for a moment, and even then, each wave washes away the temporary ploy of the shore. However, day to day, we encounter many challenges and situations, and when we allow it to pull us down, it can suffocate our emotions, thoughts and even our physical bodies.
How many know it’s easy to get into a rut?
Have you stopped dreaming? Have you been believing that God has called you for a special purpose and gifted you to fulfill His calling in your life? Maybe you have struggled with self-judgment, and you find yourself lowering your own expectations for what and who you think you are supposed to be.
It’s easy to allow this worldwide pandemic to muffle your excitement and dim your dreams. If we are not careful, we can allow situations of discouragements and disappointments to keep us stuck in the quicksand of life.
We all have struggles and challenges in life. Whether they are of our own making or not, things don’t always work out the way we will them to. Sometimes, we just give up on our dreams and goals. But there is good news: It doesn’t have to be that way! God is a God of new beginnings, and throughout the entire Bible, we read about people who were stuck and disappointed, facing impossible situations, and those were the people God freed.
Try these four strategies when you feel stuck:
- Ask the Lord to do what you cannot do. Let God to take care of the situation(s) you’ve struggled with and teach you how to let go. Just as Christ has forgiven all, the Word of God teaches us how to let go and forgive others. Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outbursts, and blasphemies, with all malice, be taken away from you. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.”
- The second thing I recommend is that you disconnect. Are there some people you need to unfollow on social media? Give yourself permission to move beyond other toxic reminders. The Bible teaches us how to deal with difficult people—pray for them. Luke 6:27-29 says, “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.”
- Find a safe accountability partner. If you feel alone, ask the Lord for that person, a sister or brother in Christ you can connect with and trust. James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.”
- Be transparent. Stop trying to act like somebody you’re not. God accepts us, loves us and forgives us. James 5:16, again, says, “Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.”
Here is what I want you to know right now: You’re so close! You are closer than you think to getting past uncomfortable situations and moving into the destiny that God has called for you.
Tune into this episode of the Faith-Fuel Podcast titled Fearlessly—Confidently—Boldly: How to Begin Again, on the Charisma Podcast Network.{eoa}
