DAY 3
How do you approach God when it feels like you’re on your own? How to do you even begin to talk about your relationship with God when you feel like He’s abandoned you?
I wish there was an easy answer for you, but the best things in life rarely have simple answers. Life is really hard but there is one important truth to hold on to when you feel like you’re on your own, or when you don’t feel like continuing to pursue your relationship with God: your life should not be controlled by your feelings.
We wake up every day being told that what we feel is the end-all-be-all, but that isn’t 100% true. Yes, your feelings and emotions are important, but you were made for greater things. A loving God made you, with intent and for a purpose; you don’t just live for your emotions, you are living for the calling that God has placed on your life.
That might be a little hard to swallow right now if you feel like you’re in this fight on your own. I want you to know that you are not alone. It is okay that you don’t always feel God’s presence. John 16:33 (TPT) warns us of times like this, it says
“And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”
But just because we know the hard times are coming (or may already be here, depending on where you’re at right now) doesn’t mean that we have to let them control our thoughts, actions, and emotions. As a child of God, you have been given access to a power that greater than you will ever be. You have access to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit. You have access to the very same power that created the ground that you are standing on! All it takes is an act of faith to overcome the troubles and sorrows of life. Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) reminds us that it takes faith and a ceaseless pursuit of a relationship with God to overcome times of loneliness or doubt when it says:
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
That means acting by faith and trusting that God is there even when we can’t feel him. That means taking your bible out and reading it daily. That means taking time to pray throughout the day. That means reaching out to a pastor, mentor, or trusted friend in your life and being willing to have an open discussion about any doubts that may be showing up in your life. That means prioritizing your relationship with God over your relationship with Netflix, toxic relationships, unhealthy habits, and addictions.
When you prioritize God, you’re made more aware of how He is moving in your life beyond emotions and feelings. It will take time and a ceaseless pursuit, but you will begin to see God in your life. And slowly, you might just find that don’t feel as lonely anymore.
SCRIPTURE:
RESOURCE:
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely by Lyssa TerKeurst