When life gets tough, which direction do you turn?
Let's face it- life is hard. The older I get, the harder it seems. Relationships become complicated, responsibilities become overwhelming, and we begin to witness firsthand how unfair life really is. When life comes at us from all sides, we have a natural tendency to react a particular way. I will be the first to confess that my initial reactions to stress in my life are not characteristics that I am proud of. However, we can only begin to change ourselves for the better after we recognize the change that needs to occur.
From my observations, there are three basic ways in which people react to life's turmoils: they turn INWARD, OUTWARD, or UPWARD. How we react to life's circumstances is a choice that we make daily. When we become aware of our natural tendencies, we can begin to practice healthier ways of coping and reacting to the circumstances surrounding us.
INWARD
When life gets tough, do you long to be alone? Do you find yourself hiding your emotions from others? Does a pint of ice cream and Netflix sound appealing to you when things have you down? These are all signs of turning inward as a response to life's challenges. Although isolated instances of these behaviors are not bad in and of themselves, retreating to these places of comfort can draw you away from healthy avenues of healing.
OUTWARD
When you get upset, do you feel the need to immediately call someone and tell them about it? Do you rely on others to help make decisions or validate your self worth? Do you feel the need to make your troubles known to others in order to justify your feelings? These are signs of turning outward when life gets tough. We all need trustworthy people in our lives, but when we run to them as soon as calamity strikes, we are running in the wrong direction
UPWARD
When we are so broken that we don't have the words to pray, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit prays for us. (Romans 8:26-27) When all we long for is someone who loves and cares for us, He is the person we seek. (Luke 12:7)
When life gets difficult, there is one place we should turn every time. His name is Jesus. He is the only one who knows us better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139) and who sees every tear that falls from our eyes. (Psalm 56:8) 1 Peter 5:7 says, Cast all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
|
When we retreat inward, eventually we will have to face life again. Our Netflix shows end and our ice cream melts. We stifle our emotions until they begin to seep into every avenue of our life. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Galatians 6:2)
When we retreat outward, we are destined to be hurt. People aren't perfect, and one day someone will hurt us. When that happens, where will we turn? We have been hurt by the very person who gives our life meaning and worth. That is a difficult place to bounce back from. (Jeremiah 17:5, Psalm 118:8)
Let's make it our goal to go to Jesus when we are confronted with difficulty. He is the only one or thing in this life that will never fail us or leave us. (Deuteronomy 31:6) It might be difficult at first to change your natural tendencies, but with practice and prayer we can make positive changes that bring us closer to Jesus and lead to healthier decisions.
|
|
