Going Through A Tough Phase.

Have you ever found yourself struggling with something that seemed to keep weighing you down and you couldn’t break free? I have. I felt as if the Lord was so far away from me. Why was this ordeal dragging out? Consider these three questions on possible sources for this ordeal, and a question on considering a new lens.

Is it me that’s causing this? Let me pause and see how I may have contributed to my malaise. How was I getting in my own way? Going deep, and taking a critical look at my temperament, habits and patterns, I began building a picture. I considered my negative traits that continually showed up. Shining a light on them helped me see what needed changing. I also gave myself some grace. Where there has been trauma, there needs to be healing work. Only after restoration can growth flow.

Is It The Deceiver Holding Me Down? A second possibility for my stagnation is an external source. I believe the devil is real and will show up in tactical places and people. Not everyone wants to see me succeed. Someone simply may want me to fail. Or if I am bringing transformational change to a population of people, but someone feels threatened by the potential that is about to be unleashed, there will be deceptive moves made to suppress, hinder or halt any progress. Their sole purpose is to distract or defeat me.

Is It The Lord At Work? The third consideration is whether I’m in a dry season of waiting because the Lord has me in a holding pattern. Perhaps there are some significant changes I need to make, as I alluded to above. There are lessons that I need to grasp that come in a divinely timed manner. It is part of the scriptural teaching that I grow in wisdom.

What lens should I use? When I’m truly struggling with something, I try to find scriptures to guide me through. Luke 2:52 is the last scripture about Christ for the eighteen years. That’s a long season.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

As I moved through my insufferable phase, I began focusing on what I could do to align with that scripture. Growing in wisdom requires humility, self-reflection and accountability. As I did my inner work and released soul-sucking behaviors and thinking, I also noticed people saying how something I said or did positively impacted them. I was organically growing in favor with people.

In the next post on Thursday, I will offer encouragement on embracing the struggle.