Tired of Trying: How to Hold on to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling ForgottenSample

Receiving the Blessing

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Don’t live the same year seventy-five times and call it a life.” As hard and painful as change and wrestling seasons might be, when we look back on our lives, we want to be able to see that we are no longer the same people we once were. The Lord knows that if we are never challenged, we will never change. We will remain stuck in self-defeating patterns of behavior we were never meant to be trapped in.

Some of my hardest seasons were marked deeply by anxiety and depression, broken relationships, losing jobs and loved ones, and wanting relief so desperately. I knew I didn’t want to stay in this place forever; I didn’t want to let bitter roots climb up over my heart and threaten to choke the life out of my future. So no matter how painful the process was, I determined to hold on to God with everything I had and believe in what He said was possible, even if I hadn’t seen it yet.

Maybe you, too, have this desire, a loud cry that comes from the depth of a heart that believes and says, But I know my God; I know He is good; and I know He is able. You know God doesn’t allow hard, refining, or pruning seasons in your life for any other reason than that they will produce in you something that is beyond beautiful.

The blessing of change is the ability to see that we can think differently, believe differently, and respond differently. Maybe in our ideal world, we would prefer that the Lord rescue us completely from what we are facing, but what He often does instead is show us the power and blessing of depending on Him to get through it.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul says of the Lord, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (NIV).

God wants us to change and move forward, but not in our own strength. We were never meant to do life without Him, and we need His strength, truth, and peace as we continue to tackle our difficulties head-on.

These places where we struggle may look like weaknesses, but they are actually the places where God has blessed us with the gift of life change.

Reflection Questions:
Where are places in your life you have already seen God change your thoughts, your responses, or your beliefs? How might He do this again in your current season?

Prayer:
Lord, I give You full access to my heart to do what You have come to do. Make me more like Jesus, and let the fruit of this season that I am walking through be abundant. You are good, and I praise You in advance for all You are doing on my behalf! In Jesus' name, amen.

Learn more about Ashley Morgan Jackson and her book Tired of Trying by visiting ashleymorganjackson.com.