3 Steps to Take When You’re Struggling With Life
I wrote an entire article with a small child on my back last week. Curious George was talking about birthday parties for the twentieth time in the week on the TV, and I typed while my own little monkey rested behind me on my back. No part of me wants to admit that I’m struggling with life in this season, but there are days . . .
Later in the day, I longed for a reprieve, and I went to the basement for some time on the treadmill.
Silence.
Just the rhythmic rolling of the tread gliding over hard plastic.
It felt like an escape.
In less than five minutes, I looked down to my right, and there he stood. His little knees touched the side of the machine as he stood as close as humanly possible. His soft brown hair glistened beneath the glow of the fluorescent lighting, and he stood perfectly motionless and perfectly silent for at least two minutes. He just wanted to be close.
Struggling With Life
The day got me thinking about what to do when we’re struggling with life in a hard season.
I’ve struggled through plenty of seasons.
A friend from high school asked to meet up recently. We caught up on the past twenty years and all that’s happened since 1999. We also talked about our seasons of struggle: how difficult high school is for pretty much everyone, the restless search for identity in our early twenties, discovering our careers, looking for love in all the wrong places, and now settling into steady rhythms as we approach our forties.
No matter where you are on your journey, chances are there are a few struggles in your current season. Life is hard, and the words of the Incarnate God tell us there will be trouble in life.
Embracing Seasons of Life When Life Is Hard
So, what is the secret to embracing seasons of life that are filled with struggles?
What do you do when your husband’s been out of town all week, and your little people have head colds, infinite needs, and 4,000 questions a day?
What do you do when you find yourself alone again for the hundredth night in a row and you just can’t quite figure out how this equates to an abundant kind of life at all?
Where do you turn when your heart gets broken or your prayers seem entirely overlooked by the One who promised to stay with you?
Here are just a few thoughts:
1. Press close to Jesus when you’re struggling with life.
It dawns on me on the treadmill.
When the season is a struggle, there is always one best thing to do: Follow the wisdom of my little boy, and press close to Jesus.
Look for what God is doing around you, and join him in what he’s doing. Seek his face. Draw as close as you can, and claim the promise that when you draw close to God, he will draw close to you.
2. Ask this question when you’re struggling with life . . .
Eighteen months ago, I started regularly asking a question. It’s a question that has slowly changed the way I live and the way I see the victories and defeats of life. The question is this: What is God doing around me at this very moment, and how should I respond?
It’s a question that aligns my perspective with what God is doing. It leads me to give thanks for gorgeous sunny summer days, and it leads me to give thanks in the midst of winter storms that seem to never end.
This question nudges me to speak encouraging words to store clerks and strangers. It reminds me to embrace these moments with a little boy on my back. 
3. Seek God’s face when your season is hard.
This question also goads me to seek the face of God in the quiet moments of my life.
It stirs me to dig deeply into God’s written Word with the expectation that he has something direct and applicable to speak into my life. It leads me to worship from the living room in even the most despairing seasons of life.
Whether you’re struggling with your season or loving your season, God is pursuing your heart. He welcomes you.
Whether you’re struggling with your season or loving your season, God is pursuing your heart. He welcomes you. #pursuedbyGod #strugglinginlife Share on XTurn and seek his face. Ask for open eyes and an open heart to see what he is doing in this very moment – in this very season. He is waiting for you to accompany him.
A Free Devotional Book for When You’re Struggling With Life:
Are you ready for a fresh breath of hope to help you through a difficult season? My gift to you is my free online devotional Rays of Light for the Dark Days. This devotional offers inspiration and practical encouragement to help you through life’s trials. It is yours by clicking here.
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