You know what I mean. When health, or finances, or relationships are beating the crud out of you! When your family and home stops being a haven and has become a war zone. When the job you thought you’d retire from goes belly up, or the doctor just said, “you’ve got cancer.” That kind of “life really sucks right now.
What do you do and where do you turn to for help? My Dad had a saying that he frequently shared with me, so I’ll share it with you.
“The fastest way to get out of a hole, is to stop digging.” What does that mean? Let me see if I can help.
- Stop and take inventory. Get a grip on the real issue and search your heart to see if you are part of the problem. If so, ask the Divine to search your heart, point out any sin (hidden or unrepentant) and let Him bring forgiveness and healing to you life.
- Assess your behavioral patterns. Is there anything that you are doing to contribute to the challenge at hand? Meaning, are you in a relationship that robs peace from you, rather than adding peace to your life? Is there an addiction that keeps lingering in your life that is building additional stress to your life? If so, get an appointment with a solid biblical counselor, or invest in a mentor/accountability partner. If you need a bit more help, seek out a licensed professional that can give you a helpful and accurate diagnosis and strategy to get you from where you are, to where the Divine wants you to be.
- Follow this plan: HELP! Seek the Divine in your prayers as if you were opening a conference call as you wake. Keep the call open throughout the day and chat with non-stop with theDivine. THANKS! Find gratitude in what you have, where you are and thank the Divine for having a plan for you. A plan that is designed for you to prosper and be loved beyond human comprehension. Gratitude is the cure for almost every attitudinal challenge. WOW! Start asking the Divine to energize your eyes to see His creation, through His eyes. Ask Him to energize your soul with a peace beyond human capacity. And, ask theDivine to use you in His master plan to redeem this messed up world…starting with your heart, souls and mind!
- And then there is my go-to prescription for when life really stinks. Start looking and noting the good things around you. Sunrise/sunset, or trees filled with green again. Maybe a song that gets your heart and soul excited. When you start down this path, it will drop you on an off ramp that leads you to serving other people. Now we are getting somewhere! When we sing, we serve.
So, as that great philosopher, James Brown once sang, “Get up off of that thing!” Sing, serve, help, thanks, wow!
–AChuck
