Have you ever been stuck in a place where nothing was particularly bad, but it also wasn’t abundantly great either? When someone asked you how you were, you could honestly answer “Fine”, but only because the word “fine” is the perfect way to sum up feeling just...okay. Nothing special.
For many Christians, feeling “just okay” can lead to questioning God’s plan. After all, the Bible does promise that following the Lord will fill a person’s life with joy and blessings, right? When you’re not feeling much of either of those things, it’s easy to think that maybe God has overlooked you.
We Can’t See the Big Picture
In Romans 11:33, we read: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
We can’t see what God has in store for our lives, or how he may be using this season of “just okay” to put us in the right position for future blessings. This knowledge can be a comfort if you embrace it. Just as God uses times of sorrow to lead us along in his plan, he may also use a period of silence to nudge you into seeking him out. It could be that this is a time of challenging you to grow in your faith even more, or it could be that God is revealing the “strong but silent” side of his personality to you for a while.
God Is Enough
In 1 Samuel 2:2, it says, “There is none besides you, there is no rock like our God.”
The Bible is filled with verses that tell us how perfect and everlasting God is. For many people who feel stuck in a rut, their biggest problem is that they aren’t content with what they have. Their focus turns to what they might be missing in life. Maybe it’s a significant other, a better job, or fewer health issues. Whatever it is that you feel you are missing, it can rob you of the joy that you already have as a person with a relationship with the perfect and almighty God.
You Are Not Alone
Another emotion often experienced by those feeling “just okay” is loneliness. Especially in the social media age, everyone’s lives seem to be filled with excitement, both good and bad. There may be days when you are staring at your Facebook account thinking, “I have nothing to post because my life is so boring.”
But the fact is that you are not the only person to ever feel this way. In fact, David wrote in the book of Psalms that he felt as though he were stuck in a slimy pit made of mud, without any joy in his life. In Psalm 40, he said that he waited patiently for God, who lifted him out of the pit and gave him songs to fill up his life with happiness.
And God himself promises that we are never alone no matter what is happening. In Isaiah 43:2, he says, “I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” If God can do all of that for someone struggling through rivers and fires, then how much more do you think he can stick with you when you’re just...stuck?
God Has Already Proven His Love
If being stuck in a place where nothing special is happening has made you feel like God is ignoring you, then you may want to reevaluate how you measure God’s love. Are you watching for blessings and signs throughout your days as proof of his attention? When you don’t see any little messages waiting to remind you of his presence, do you feel like you must be the least favorite child?
The fact is that God has already proven his love by sacrificing everything on the cross. In the classic scripture memorized by children across the world, God reveals that his sole motivation for sending Jesus to take this punishment was his love for the world – and that includes you.
Getting Unstuck
If you are feeling like you just can’t move past “okay” to “great”, then consider your life in the following areas:
- Are you too focused on what is happening right now, instead of having faith in the big picture of your life? Do you trust that God is always leading you along the best path?
- Are you so busy wanting things that you don’t have, that you forget how wonderful it is to have a relationship with God? Have you spent time recently enjoying this quiet phase of growth with the Lord?
- Do you feel as though you are the only person that God is ignoring, or like no one else really feels stuck in their faith or life? Take a look at the Bible, especially the life of David, who openly struggled with these exact feelings all the way through Psalms. Remind yourself, too, that God is always with you – even in the places where things are “fine”.
- Are you searching for signs that God loves you in your daily life? Do you grow despondent when you can’t really name anything that could be a blessing in your life? Spend some time reminding yourself that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the best blessing of all, and more than enough reason to celebrate joyfully.
Finally, don’t forget that all seasons pass. It may feel like you’ve been stuck in “just okay” for ages, but eventually things will change. Your time of growth will move on to the next stage in your relationship with God, and your life circumstances will change as well. Do what you can to make the most of this phase, and you’ll start feeling much more hopeful about the future. Next time someone asks you how you are doing, it won’t feel like such a drudgery to answer, “Fine!”
Sources:
http://strengthforthesoul.com/2014/03/what-to-do-when-you-feel-stuck/