The Hard Good: Showing Up for God to Work in You When You Want to Shut DownSample

Doing What God Wants When Your Feelings Drive You to Shut Down

Knowing something is right doesn’t always make it less hard in the moment. We can get through hard things when we know God is in them. What is spiritually right, even though it’s unwanted, is good because it is who God is and, thus, will be to our benefit in some way. But at the moment, we just want relief. And in order for our emotions not to overtake our understanding, we need God more than ever to make it through. Like you, I’m sure, I’ve experienced this feeling of shutting down in hard emotional moments in my life.

Emotions can be a very strict boss, pushing us to shut down rather than showing up where God wants us. Have you ever wanted to be that person they call the bigger person when someone triggers you yet again, but you have never quite seemed to find her inside yourself? Welcome to a lot of us. Emotions can be bossy, but they are also a consistent truth-teller. We need to recognize what triggers us and work on not giving in to that anymore and take alternative action. A deep breath, a silent prayer to God, a step outside. Is it hard to stay open? It can be, but shutting down leaves us in a cycle of regret and inability for God to fully use us.

We can replace shutting down with showing up. Then, you are truly taking back power from your emotions. Sometimes we show up even when we don’t feel it or feel we can (within healthy boundaries). Showing up means more than hanging on and surviving. It means being fully present. When my dad died, I received a fresh desire to appreciate the life he no longer got to have. Settling became a less attractive option. Life is a gift. 

When life is difficult and you choose to show up, like I did, God can hold you together. It will be hard, but it can also be good. It is possible to acknowledge and honor your emotions but not let them shut you down and steal joy from your life. Satan has a very vested interest in shutting you down. The more you shut down, the less you will do for God. Getting to know the way Satan works is crucial. We need to be aware of him and the sin traps we’re likely to fall into. 

As we continually practice showing up—body, mind, and soul—and asking Jesus to help us, the numbing methods that stifle that good process will stop. God’s grace is there for you. Showing up has everything to do with who you will become: a person God wants to use for the kingdom of God, even more powerfully than you can imagine! We can become those showing-up kinds of people.

Respond

When have your emotions tempted you to shut down and escape the hard good in your life? What consequences—emotionally, relationally, spiritually, and physically—did you experience?

How does confidence in God’s good plans for you help you show up for what He has for your life?

How have you experienced God using what is hurting you to help you grow? Who else did your experience impact?