Inspirited

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed by life’s struggles?

Some of us choose to ruminate over each tiny detail of our problems. We brood over it; we stew on it; we get worked up over how little control we have over it. Others prefer distraction--we find something else to occupy our minds so we can put off thinking about our problems. Numbing ourselves with addictive behaviors is a common distraction technique. Neither rumination nor distraction seems therapeutic. There must be a better way!

We could try to equip ourselves with the tools to handle life’s stresses. We could learn coping mechanisms. Yet, these techniques are equivalent to having a few hand tools after a natural disaster. It’s better than nothing, but its value is limited. What we need are power tools and a generator.

What if we were inspirited and animated by a higher power that is better than anything we could produce on our own? What if we had access to this power but we were unaware of it? What if we continued to use our manual, (human-powered) tools--striving, struggling, exerting--but with very little progress?  

Lord, help me to stop this stupid striving. Please take over. Empower me with your Spirit, fill me, guide me, and use me.