Back slumped, tired eyes, robotic movements. Physical signs. Mind frazzled, limited focus, mood highs and lows. Emotional signs. The desire to withdraw, lashing out, limited communication with God. Relational signs. If you are reading this and have/are experiencing a number of these symptoms of a trying season, I feel your pain. Due to circumstances out of our control or unsurpassable responsibilities, we can feel as if life is spiraling out of control.
The reason I haven’t written in three months is that these past few months have been exhausting. My daily journey includes managing Type 1 Diabetes. Out of nowhere, a new set of unrelated symptoms welcomed themselves. I felt like God was remaining quiet. I couldn’t understand where God was, as my life seemed to be falling apart. Despite the way I felt, I knew that my God was in control.
My thoughts about how to retain rational during crazy, stressful, tiring times are based on scripture from 1 Peter:
Keep a cool head.
Stay alert.
The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping.
Keep your guard up.
You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times.
It’s the same with Christians all over the world.
So keep a firm grip on the faith.
1 Peter 5:8-9 MSG
1. Live by the Word of God.
The Word of God is life. Whatever we listen to becomes who we are. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (ESV). What you listen to becomes what you think about, talk about, and act on. My natural response to fear is to cower, rather than to create space for God to speak truth through His Word. I am well versed in the language of doubt and worry. In continuing to meditate on the Word of God, I was training myself to replace the language of self-reliance with God-reliance. If what we choose to listen to determines the trajectory of our lives, then we have to hold tight to the words that we know are true, hope-filled, and life-giving.
2. Welcome Biblical community.
“Okay”, you say. But what about when you are having trouble believing the Word that God is speaking in your life? Friends, your people, #tribe. Whatever vernacular you choose, you need people in your life who love the Lord and love you. If they love Him and love you, these friends will point you back to Him, even when you are shortsighted. It’s those people who love you enough to remind you how much your Heavenly Father loves you that are absolutely critical to helping you keep your head on straight when life is wonky. I can think of several people in the last three months that have reminded me of basic Sunday School principles during times when my heart wanted to reject them. It’s easy to curl up in a ball like a roly-poly when fear knocks on the door. Resist the urge to abandon people who are on your team, ready to point you back to the only hope that lasts.
3. Rely on the Holy Spirit.
When life is seemingly more than we can handle, we can become self-consumed. Our mind can become so consumed with what is happening to us that we forget that God may be trying to do something through us. God wastes nothing that happens in our lives. He allows things and then uses them for His glory and for our good. Romans 8:5 reminds us, “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (ESV). We often let things happen to us and grumble about it. The challenge is to look at what the Holy Spirit is trying to grow in us. The Great Counselor, the Holy Spirit, is trying to change us and make us look more like Him. Maybe this momentary season of grief and strain is producing in us humility, understanding, and hope.
No man is an island. We weren’t meant to do this life, alone. Through the life breathing power of God’s Word, the encouragement of fellow believers, and the comfort and correction of the Holy Spirit, we can remain level-headed when life is falling apart. God doesn’t promise this life will not have trials, but He does give us the tools from Heavenly Places to help us “keep a cool head”, “keep your guard up”, and “keep a firm grip on the faith”.
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