This sucks!

 

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I recently had some weeks that sucked. I was spiritually drained, emotionally weak and physically I felt like burned out..
I couldn`t really explain what it was and there seemed to be no solution for it. It got even worse when a friend of mine got really sick and another friend had big issues in his family.

I frequently woke up in the morning thinking – this sucks! Often, I’d wish the day was already over before it got started, so I didn’t need to get up and could just stay asleep.

Times like this are rough. Things feel hopeless and advice from friends seems to be of no help whatsoever.

 

Over the last 29 years I have gone through a lot due to my chronical illness. But as far as I can remember, I`ve never experienced such spiritual emptiness as I did these last few weeks. I knew there was a spiritual battle going on. During that time, I often had a picture pop into my head. The devil was pulling at me from one side and God pulling from the other while I stood in the middle. Both of them wanted to win me for their side.

 

Spiritual battles are tough. At times they are discouraging and sometimes it even seems like there is no pint to them..

 

This sucks! Have you ever been so deeply discouraged that you needed to say it?

 

Life can get crazy at times. Unexpected situations and challenges are thrown at us, sometimes more than one at a time.
A lot was going on for me and I knew there was a spiritual battle going on at the same time as my earthly struggles. It was horrible but I was also sure that God was working something incredibly within and around me.

 

In this blog I would like to encourage you and share how I handle days, weeks or even months like these. I hope it will be of great value to you!

1. It`s not your fault.

There can be different reasons for why life sucks. Sometimes it is because of a mistake we’ve made and sometimes it’s because something didn`t work out the way we wanted it to.
The devil always tries to discourage us with wrong thoughts and feelings such as “it`s your fault”, “you`re not enough“, “you´re stupid“ or even “these mistakes can`t be forgiven“.

These past few weeks I often had thoughts of “it`s your fault“ and “what am I doing wrong?” As the weeks went by I realised I could isolate those thoughts and replace them with what God thinks and says about me.

If life sucks for you right now, I strongly encourage you to speak the word of God over your life and increase your time with Him. I know it`s easier said than done and often there is little desire to do it. But the only way the battle for the mind is won is by using God`s word.

Now that I feel a bit better and it seems like the crazy weeks are almost over, I realise that I have grown so much, especially in the spiritual realm. More than ever before, whenever negative or wrong thoughts come in to my head, I quickly fight back with the word of God. It has become a regular habit for me and it’s amazing what happens when I do it. I feel much more at peace or things don`t feel so hard.

 

2. God is for you.

This might be an obvious statement. You`ve probably heard it a 1000 times already if you are doing life with other Jesus followers or are familiar with the Church. It was like that for me, but after my crazy past few weeks, it has become more and more true to me. I have realised afresh that “God is for you” isn`t just a passing statement or motto we say but a simple truth we can hold on to that gives us hope in any situation.

One of the most encouraging scriptures for me at the moment is Jeremiah 29: 11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.“ (NLT)

No matter the circumstances you are going through, the current pressure you face, or how much life sucks right now there will always be a God who has the best future ready for you!

 

Don`t give up. Stay where you are. Lean into God`s word. And wait expectantly for the breakthrough, which is coming soon! If it sucks, it`s only temporary and not eternal! ☺

 

I hope this has been helpful and you feel more equipped to face another set of challenges. You can do this. You are amazing. And you are God`s best!

 

Be blessed
Nathanael

 

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#itsucks
#itsallaboutHim
#livelifetothefullest