What Should You Do When Life Is Not Okay?
Do you ever feel like life is anything but okay? You're not alone, but here are four choices you can make that will sustain you.
Are you going through a tough season right now?
Sometimes life hits us hard. Several years ago, I interviewed author Katie Schnack about her book, Everything is (Not) Fine. In it, she shares her journey of raising a child with VACTERL (which stands for vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula, renal anomalies, and limb abnormalities) and how she lives when everything isn't fine.
One of the lines that especially resonated with me was this one: "Some things in life are so awful they won’t ever be 'okay.'"
Perhaps you find yourself in your own awful situation today. You're trying to hold things together, but inside you're hurting and don't know how to move forward.
As I reflected on my conversation with Katie, my mind went to Psalm 3, where King David offers some encouraging words of hope. Keep in mind this psalm is written while David is at rock bottom.
He's living in the aftermath of the greatest moral failure of his life, his family is falling apart, and now it looks like his kingdom might be destroyed. Life was not okay. But based on his words, David offers four choices you can make when life is not okay.
Choice 1: State Your Fears
David doesn't sugarcoat his problems. In verses 1-2, David says, "O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, 'There is no salvation for him in God.'" Notice that last line, "There is no salvation for him in God." David's enemies say that even God has abandoned him, so he might as well give up.
What about you? Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you? Honestly, at some points, I have, and these seasons have always been the lowest moments of my life. Hard times aren't easy, but when we feel like God isn't with us, life can feel hopeless.
If this is where you find yourself today, lean in to this next choice.
Choice 2: Ask God for Help
Verses 3-4 say, "But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill."
Despite having a well-trained army, David recognized God as his greatest shield. If God was on his side, there was nothing the enemy could do to thwart his plans. But if God was against him, there was nothing he could do to win this battle.
There is a time and place for hard work. But there are some situations intended to be outside your control and no amount of human effort will suffice. You can either resist this reality or embrace it and ask God for help.
Choice 3: Rest in God's Certainty
Verses 5-6 say, "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around."
When life feels uncertain, this is God's invitation for you to lean into his certainty. By certainty, I don't mean clarity because sometimes the closer we get to God, the more confusing life becomes. Instead, I prefer another word–security. Those who place their trust in him are eternally secure. Because of God, we do not need to fear tomorrow.
Choice 4: Move Forward in God's Strength
Verses 7-8 say, "Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!"
"Salvation belongs to the Lord." What a wonderful truth to embrace.
To summarize, life might feel overwhelming today. Everything might not be okay. But if this is your reality, take hope in God. Rest in the security only he can provide.
As you look ahead to Resurrection Sunday, take hope that the God who conquered death and the grave is the one who sustains you moment by moment.
