Try Again
It’s difficult to physically keep going when mentally and emotionally you’ve already checked out. Today, I want to talk about how to get back up when you’ve given up.
What happens when
life throws you a curveball and you go from thriving to surviving to almost dying?
We’ve always heard the saying “quitters never win”. And although it’s true, I can’t help to think that no one begins something with the intentions of quitting. I genuinely think that when we begin something, whether it's a race, or a weight loss journey, college, a career, or even marriage or ministry, no one ever thinks of “oh, somewhere along the line, I’m going to give up.” That’s just not how it works, we’re all wired with the hopes of thriving and succeeding. Absolutely no one wakes up one day and says “I want to be a failure today”. What happens when life throws you a curveball and you go from thriving to surviving to almost dying? What happens when you’ve stumbled and no longer find yourself with the momentum you had? You’ve now slowed down, you have a defeated spirit and simply give up. There’s nothing left in you that will remotely motivate you to get up and begin to move.
First and foremost, in some way, shape or form we have all been there. If you haven’t yet, you will. The truth of the matter is life happens and sometimes it’ll knock you off the course. Tragedies, failures, regrets, disappointments and there’s a laundry list of other things that can cause a person to lose the umph in life. And my hope is that today you can begin to find a glimmer of hope that will in-turn spark in you the desire to try again.
I want to be very user-friendly and practical today because I understand that when your feelings are in a funk, simplicity and practicality is the way to get started. That is why I want to share with you the four C’s that will cause you to get up and claim your spot again. (Calling, Connect, Commitment, and Create). Let’s get right to it.
1. Calling: Identify your calling and go for it. What have you been called to do in life? What is your purpose? If you don’t know it, begin to discover it. Seek God, ask Him to reveal it to you. What makes you happy? What comes easy and natural to you? What are you passionate about? We’ve all been created for a purpose to fulfill here on earth. Find out what yours is and begin to walk it out. It’s never too late to “recalculate” and come back to the path that you’re suppose to be on. Don’t allow regrets or loss of time hold you back any longer, try again. The time is now.
2. Connect: You have to stay connected. Distance can become very dangerous in the life of someone who is isolating themself from creating genuine community with people. We were not meant to do life alone, life is hard enough and we all face challenges that will rock our world and if we don’t have a support system we will crumble. I can’t stress this enough; you need to surround yourself with people who will cover you, who will encourage you and who will speak life into you. However, you do have to open your heart and give the right people access. This may be hard for someone who has experienced let downs but you must try again. There must be someone or a few people you trust enough to let them in. They will be in your corner, motivating and cheering you on. These people will not let you quit.
3. Commitment: Ultimately the decision is yours. You can have the right people speaking the right things at the right time but if you’re reluctant to commit, nothing will change. At the end of the day, the choice is yours. No one can make you do anything; we’re all given free will. So there has to come a point in your life where you’re committed to the process of getting back up. Whatever that process looks like, it will require having a disciplined mindset. Even if you’re tried in the past, try again because consistency is the key to any success. There’s a saying that says “Success isn’t about talent or luck, it’s about consistency”. It’s the day to day grind that gets us that much closer—consistency is key! It’s also important to note that this isn’t a competition, everyone’s pursuit looks different and everyone goes at their own pace. Don't compare your journey or your story to someone else’s.
4. Create: Create boundaries, incorporate structure to your schedule, adopt healthy habits that will help you stay committed and connected to fulfill the call that is over your life. Doubts are bound to invade your thoughts, discouragement will whisper “give up” but when you’ve been intentional with decluttering your mind with all the garbage that enters in it daily, then you make room for what’s next. Romans 12:2 tells us “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We must renew our minds daily, shedding the old and replacing it with the new. We are constantly being bombarded with different thoughts on a consistent basis. It is said that the average person will typically have more than 6,000 thoughts in a single day. That’s insane! No wonder the Apostle Paul urges us to renew or to focus on godly values and ethical attitudes as the Amplified version states it. We have to wash away the pessimist and fearful thoughts with the Word of God; that is the only way we can do away with them.
It’s important to also create a habit of spending time in God’s presence and also reading His Word. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Your thoughts don’t dominate you, you dominate them by taking it to Christ. You have been given the authority to exercise that power. According to your daily consumption, that’s what your brain will retain. If you’re a constant “Debby Downer” or “Negative Nancy” then that will be a direct reflection of your life, your actions, and your vocabulary. Philippians 4:8 gives us an amazing framework of what it is that we should be thinking about on a daily basis. It says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Isn’t that beautiful? If you ever begin to think about the opposite of what was mentioned in this verse, then just know that there is a list of whatevers that you should start thinking about and those whatevers are biblical. :)
It is God’s desire that you get up and begin to fulfill the task that He has called you to complete. You have a gift, a talent, a unique calling over your life. Don’t let it go to waste. Whether you’ve been called into ministry or into the marketplace-you’re still called to minister, whatever that looks like. And God wants to use you in such a powerful way so that many are touched and transformed by His power—through you! Yes, I know life is hard and it affects us in different ways. But please be encouraged with these words that Jesus left us so that we could cling onto it very tightly. He says in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. I this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” What a wonderful promise! He knew that life would be hard and that we would face troubling times but He assures us that everything will be okay. When we take heart, we find peace in Him. He has overcome every situation you and I will ever face in life and that is so reassuring! I pray that you can cling on to those words and treasure them in your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you as you make the decision to get up and try again, even if it’s just one more time. He is with you and He will not disappoint.
Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!
~landypf