Go or Grow.

Can I be honest? Last week was hard. Harder than usual and I found myself overflowing with emotion- And not the good kind. It was the sticky kind of emotion that clung to more parts of me than I’d like to admit. By the end of the week I was beat down, bruised up and let’s face it- Crying, a lot. Most of all, I felt anxious. My mind wandered and stirred, trying to think about everything at once. At the end of the day I felt beyond broken. Friends, I’m wondering if you felt this way too? Or maybe this is how you’ve been feeling for some time? If you have, I’m sorry. I want you to know that you’re not alone and…there is good news. 

Before I tell you the good news, can we talk about how hard this social distancing has been? I’d be lying if I said staying at home has been easy. There are days when I wake up and I’m ready to go back to bed, when I’m in a funk. You know, that mood you’re in when you’re just not quite yourself and everything just feels off. It’s easy to give into these feelings, especially while we’re isolated. Friends, if you’re in a funk, if you’re facing those feelings of doubts, anxiety, depression, fear- I want you to know that you’re not alone. Anxiety has been a battle I’ve been facing since I was fifteen. It actually started to get bad after I got baptized my sophomore year of highschool. You see, I chose to start living a new life- A life dedicated to Jesus. After that, I faced some serious spiritual warfare on my mental health. Coincidence? Not a chance. The enemy tried to tear me down with lies, panic attacks and fear because I chose to follow Jesus and not the world. At the time, I could only see what was right in front of me- Weakness. What I couldn’t see was the strength and breakthrough God was pouring out in the bigger picture. If I never would have walked through that season of weakness, I wouldn’t have been able to grow the way that I did. Here’s the good news friends: We’re designed to be strong in our weakness. During that season while I was down, God fought for me and He was my strength when I was weak. 

I don’t think it’s a coincidence so many of us are struggling right now. If we could see the bigger picture we’d see that what we’re going through today is only preparation for tomorrow. Friends, there is hope on the other side of this great unknown, but there are two ways we can experience this time- We can either go through this or we can grow through this. 

Here’s what it looks like to go through this: We face the everyday struggle of isolation and try to get through it with our own strength. We rely on worldly things to cope with the tremendous weight we’re feeling. When the quarantine is over and the world resumes, we go back to where we were before, feeling broken and uneasy. 

Here’s what it looks like to grow through this: We take our heaviness and acknowledge that we can’t do anything with our strength. Right now, we’re weak and that’s okay. Each day God meets us in the midst of our weakness and He becomes our strength. We learn how to depend on God and when the quarantine is over, He continues to transform our lives. 

In the Bible, Paul writes a letter from prison. That letter is found in 2 Corinthians and in this letter, Paul expresses how in his weakness God is his strength. 2 Corinthians 12:10 (The Passion Translation) says, “So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.” Did you notice the key phrase in that verse? Paul says, “Because of my love for Christ…” Friends when we turn our eyes and hearts to Jesus, He surrounds us- Nothing can come against us when our eyes are fixed on Him.

If you’re in a weak place right now, I encourage you to look at where you’re investing your time and energy. Are the things you’re turning to becoming your strength? Or are they leaving you feeling more broken than before? Friends, God designed us to depend on Him and when we dedicate our lives to Him, our weakness is met with His strength. I want to challenge you today to depend on God and see how He becomes your strength in this battle. If you don’t know where to start, I encourage you to pray this throughout your day:

“Jesus I need you. I give you my weakness and surrender my life to you. Please come and rescue me with your strength just as you promise.”

I can’t wait to see how God meets you in your weakness and I can’t wait to see you grow through this.