Feeling Powerless??

Have you ever found yourself at some point in life feeling powerless? Perhaps in a relationship, position, situation or circumstance? Well, I have in each of these areas. You can find yourself going through a gamut of emotions and thought processes trying to figure out how you got there, why me, and how will you get yourself out. It can lead to depression, anxiety, bitterness, and anger.

For starters, we are born into sin, that in itself is a circumstance we all face regardless of what our family dynamic, race, or economic status looks like. As a result of sin there are situations one can face in life, such as poverty, sickness, neglect, molestation, and abuse beyond their control. These things can leave many feeling broken, confused, and with a sense of hopelessness.

There’s a saying “Don’t cry over spilled milk”. This phrase means that there’s no point to being upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed. While, it’s true that you can’t change what happened, it doesn’t necessarily alleviate the desire to. Therefore, I would say depending on what the “spilled milk” meant to the individual, would be the determinate whether it’s worthy to be cried over or not? Perhaps, that’s why someone else coined the phrase, “Easier said than done!” This is why we need something greater to rely on than the wisdom of man to help us deal in this life.

In the well-remembered words of Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Very wise words from someone that wasn’t taken very seriously. Life is certain to be filled with surprises and uncertainty throughout your life from birth to death. Job 14:1 says, Man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble. On any given day we can find ourselves in a dilemma, a crisis, or a place that renders us powerless. Perhaps, dealing with a sickness or death of a love one, job loss, an unfavorable medical diagnosis of your own, a broken relationship, or an unhealthy work environment, could all be a catalyst to leaving us without hope.

Our first line of defense against feeling powerless and defeated is knowing God’s word and what it says about our lives. There is a predestined plan for each and every one of us. Everything that has transpired or will transpire in your life whether it be good or bad is a part of a plan to mold you into the individual he would have you to be. Understanding this, one must study his word and seek his face to find the path he would have you take. There are no mistakes in God, as his word clearly states that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. There are many witnesses left on record in the bible that reveal this to us. God hasn’t promise us happiness or exemption from bad things happening to us and around us, but he has left us with the assurance of “victory”! Hebrews 11:1 is referred to as the “Hall of Faith”, the list includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David and Moses just to name a few. There were many more left on record in regards to their courageous acts of faith, but along with each story came suffering. We must suffer with Christ to know him and to reign with him. Philippians 3:10 and 2 Timothy 2:12.

I had to learned through different situations and circumstances that going to church and hearing God’s word was not enough to make it successfully through this life. His word is meant to be applied and lived out loud. God’s word is medicine for our souls, and God is the “Great Physician”. Just as we need natural physicians to care for us when we are not feeling well. We are in need of a spiritual physician for diseases of the soul. In order to get well, one will have to follow the directions given to them to achieve effective results. To go home after consulting with a physician and decide not to follow the directives nor fill the prescription; is like the person that goes to church and hears God’s word and never applies it to your life. It negates the purpose. This is why James the apostle wrote, Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Most medicines are not design to taste good, the true purpose is to alleviate the problem. The same can be said of God’s word. It may not always be what we “want” to hear, but it is always what we “need” to hear. We need a daily dose of God’s word for strength, guidance, and power to navigate through this life. Just like we render our medications ineffective to our natural bodies when we don’t take them or skip a day or days, so is it with God’s word. This is why we often times find ourselves feeling tired, defeated, powerless, and wearied. God’s word comes to alleviate us from these feelings and cause us to see things through his eyes. It’s not that life doesn’t come to try our faith, but applying the word of God along with prayer and even fasting when necessary one can rise up against the odds with the power Christ intended for us to walk in.

Remember, God is God over every problem or situation we will face in this life, whether it is of someone’s else doing or our own. His word says he will never leave us or forsake us. When we put our trust in God and obey what his word says, we can have confidence that we can have victory over everything that comes to try our faith in this life.

Take some time over a cup of tea this week and allow God to restore the power in the area(s) of your life that you feel are either disconnected or is in need of regenerating through prayer and studying His word.

Until next time…. Be good to yourselves