I woke up this morning, and like every other day, jumped into my morning routine. This usually is enough to get my body and brain woken up and ready to go. If I’m not fully awake after my two-minute cold shower and my ten-minute dynamic warm-up, then I know something is off.
Today, something was off. I felt it. My watch said I slept great but I was feeling something completely different. Even after my two cups of coffee, something didn’t feel right.
As I was journaling, I wrote the following, “Man I feel tired…I don’t feel much like writing today…I can pray.” With that, I wrote out a lengthy prayer; about 150 words.
I prayed for my friends and family, as I usually do. But I also prayed for myself. I asked God to give me strength and energy. I also asked Him to make the day a good one as I find ways to please Him.
As I write this, I still am not feeling it. My shoulder is sore, my mind is cloudy and I feel like taking a nap. However, God has given me what I need to push through.
I was able to go run some errands, even though it feels much colder than it should be for the end of March. The words are flowing just enough for me to create coherent sentences for this post. And I was reminded of something about prayer.
The answer we expect to our prayers is often very different from God’s answer. I was hoping for some kind of instant energy boost, some awakening that would leave me feeling energized and ready to take on the world. God’s version of a caffeine boost, as it were.
What I got was just enough. Just enough for me to put one foot in front of the other and get moving. Enough to persevere but not conquer. God gave me what I needed to get started, then said, “OK, there is your kick start, now you do the rest.”
In moments like these, I am reminded of the many passages in the Bible that refer to how God can deal with trials and tribulations. God can, if he so chooses, remove us from our trials. More often than not, He chooses to walk with us through the trial, not remove us from it.
As I read through some of these passages, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 spoke to me:
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (2Co 4:8-9, ESV)
There is a great lesson in realizing that God, while He can do anything, many times chooses to limit His influence. He promises to never leave us or forsake us, yet He rarely does things for us. He works with us, giving us the gift of learning and growing from life challenges.
God wants us, as believers, to be people of good character. To mimic the character of Jesus. If Jesus is truly the leader of our lives, then we should respond as Jesus would. Jesus was tested, why should it be any different for us?
Character is forged in the trenches. You can’t build good character if you are not tested. God knows this, that’s why He operates the way He does. Going through the trials with us, not sparing us completely. This gives us the chance to rely on Him for strength and endurance, but allows us to grow in character.
When in doubt, pray. It’s your best defense against negative feelings or situations. Just remember that God will not likely spare you from your issue, but He will always walk through it with you. I can now face the rest of my day knowing Christ is with me and through Him, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13).
Have you ever had a moment where you just felt off? How did you handle it? I’d love to hear your story.
—Daniel