10 Things to Do When You Hit Bottom and Feel Like Giving Up (Christian Advice)
I have been there a hundred times. You don’t know where its all coming from. You find it hard to pray. The words won’t come out. You feel stranded and lost, like God is punishing you, or like He has allowed Satan to attack and you, and you’re feeling defenseless. You feel like giving up. You’re getting hit from all angles. It is your worst adversity. Money. Relationships. Loneliness. Depression. Anger. Anxiety. Friendships. You just can’t seem to shake the thought that you feel like giving up.
Emotional Pain
I have been there. It is an ugly, ugly place. Sometimes your own thoughts scare you. You wonder, “How could I have such a thought as to give up? How could I just beg for love and not feel like I’m getting it from anywhere? Why so much confusion? Why can’t I just be happy?” I have been there.
You think to yourself how you’ve been there for others, and yet you have not had guidance yourself. You gave selflessly, even if it was talking someone through something when you were just exhausted. You have given to others and sometimes you even gave your last dime to help. And here you are feeling beaten down, like none of it mattered. It’s no wonder you feel like giving up.
Until. Someone says to you, “Get up.” That voice inside your head knows you can’t give up. You know this is all temporary, if you think about it logically. You know you have been down a bad road before, and since then, you laughed, and you felt ok again, if even for a moment. Or a day. Or a week. You know you’ve been there before. You pulled out of it before, and you will again. Get up. And do something.
Do Something
Break out of yourself. Right now you’re your own worst enemy. Did someone put you down? They’re just words and you can make the choice to throw them in the trash. Have you lost someone? That doesn’t mean your life has to stop. Get up and find a place again where that smile comes back and you feel at least half alive again. The worst part is what you’re feeling now. There’s only one way up, and that’s up. So, it may be time to get up and break the silence.
Put some music on. Clean your house. Get off the couch. Get your body in motion. Treat yourself kindly. It isn’t like there’s anything wrong with that. You’re in a poor mental state right now and you cannot be beaten further down. The Lord is holding His hand out to you, saying, “Come with me.” Sometimes you don’t even know where you’re going. But you take His hand and you go anyway. Life doesn’t need to be that dark. Put a light on. Let it be by the grace of Jesus Christ that you no longer feel like giving up.
For all the pain or agony you feel, there’s something you can do with it. The Lord is gearing you up for something bigger. Jesus has to work within us, and we must trust what He is doing, and know that He has a purpose. Will you see that purpose in a week, or a month, or a year? You cannot force God’s timing, and He will show you His purpose if and when He feels it is your time to know.
Get back to basics
Remember that the Lord instructed His disciples to be of good faith. What does that mean? He did not say to be of half faith. He said be of good faith. By your fruits, the world will know that you’re a follower of Christ. One cannot produce much fruit when they lack in faith. If you are hurting, the most important thing you can do is tell yourself, “I cannot give up. God has told me not to, and I must be obedient”. So, what is it that He has told you to do? Be of good cheer, knowing that His promises remain. He will pull you through, because He is with you. Let not the problems of the world take your sights off the things of heaven. Realize that you’re in a poor state of mind now, but the Lord will refresh you, and show you His grace through rich blessings.
We do not barter with God, so as to say, “I will do this, if you give me that.” God doesn’t make deals. He delivers His grace which cannot be erased. He provides strength, so that we do not fall. We may stumble and lack in faith, but this is the time, though it may be the hardest, that we must turn to Him and ask to receive it like never before. Never give up on Christ. You are His child. He will never give up on you.
10 Things to Do When You Hit Bottom
1) Pray. Turn every single burden that you have on your shoulders, over to the Lord.
2) Get back to basics. Implement music therapy. Pick up a magazine that includes at least one hobby you enjoy. Begin to minimize time spent being down and depressed and replace it with tasks, and things you once enjoyed. You’ll have to think back to something you really used to love doing, and rediscover why you used to love it.
3) Begin a diary and write down what you are feeling, and then how you plan to conquer this dilemma. Make a list of the things you need to accomplish, with small steps to get there. Focus on your list.
4) Tolerate or Eliminate: Make the decision right now whether you choose to tolerate your own negative thoughts, or eliminate them. Set a date. By this time next week, I will have eliminated most of my negativity, and be in a much better mental position. If you decide to tolerate the situation, then you must change the way you perceive the problem. Ask yourself how you can begin to look at this in a manner that will help you grow spiritually. Are you presenting yourself as a Christian during your suffering and affliction? What should you ask for in prayer?
5) Change the problem into an opportunity: Determine in your mind that this is not necessarily a problem that you must deal with, but rather it could be a problem which presents a new opportunity. What opportunity is staring you in the face?
6) Get a mentor: Call someone who may be a great mentor. Briefly tell them of your situation and that you’d like to change it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Tell the person you admire them and you’d like to get their take on the best course of action to implement a new change. Use the time to listen to the person. Take notes, and really listen, rather than being heard.
7) Begin to smile at strangers more often. Next time you’re in a gas station or store, smile at the person, even if it’s hard. Ask how their day has been. Show you care about them for the moment.
8) Forgive. Choose to forgive someone who has hurt you in the past. This may be someone from your childhood, or your teenage friend, or your old boss. If you can think of someone you haven’t forgiven, ask the Lord to put forgiveness in your heart, in obedience to His teaching. You’ll want to write down why you have been hurt by them, and why it is doing you no good to continue holding a grudge.
9) Have patience. Ask the Lord for patience in your new journey. Don’t get down on yourself. If you feel yourself slipping, understand that you have to take small steps, and not to expect perfection from yourself. We are only human. All fall short.
10) Respect list: Write down all the people in your life that you can think of who have respected you. Go back as far as you can. Think of names, and write them down. Who made you feel good about yourself? Who did you do a good deed for? Write down the things you’ve done for others. Review that list and remember that Jesus said, “What you’ve done for the least of them you have done for me.” Imagine just how much Jesus loves you for all of the things you’ve done for Him. And give Him glory that He still finds you so special that He will forgive and continue to love you as long as you never lose faith. Now is no time to feel like giving up. You have things to do, and the Lord has created you with a purpose in mind. Trust in Him that He will reveal it to you.
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