Joy Zappers - Moving Beyond

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, 

out of the miry clay, and set my feet 

upon a rock, and established my goings."

Psalm 40:2
 

We've made it to the first week of February and I'm sure there are some resolutions which have already fell by the wayside and been deemed unattainable, not-doable, not worth the hassle, etc. However, maybe you're still in control and striving to keep pushing toward your invisible finish line. If so, that's great. I'm cheering you on today!

Here's a quick note though: Discouragement and distraction can be found everywhere. One doesn't have to be awake very long in the morning hours before something can throw us for a loop. What we began on January 1st with much determination was probably challenged within a few hours of our waking that day. This is just how life works. It could be a disheartening phone call, comments made by family members, bosses or friends, a report from the doctor, why it may even be as simple as a stubbed toe or lost keys. 

Distractions are unavoidable if we plan to "live." The trick is to figure out a way to keep them from becoming joy-zappers.  Remember those prepositions we learned back in elementary school? Under. Over. Around. Beneath. Above. In front of. Between. Into. Across. Around. There's a strategy in the making with those wonderful words. (Who knew God was into grammar?) While distractions are unavoidable, they don't have to determine our destination or the outcome of our situations. We can endure distractions and retain our joy, peace of mind and our path in the right direction. 

"How?", you might ask. We CAN overcome distraction and discouragement without giving into them.  We might just have to go around when we thought we could just walk right on through. We might have to go over when we planned to go beneath. We might have to go across when we planned to go beside. Learn to be flexible, allowing God to be guide. Release control of the situations to Him. These potential joy-zappers don't have to be the victors in our lives when we have God on our side. We can be victorious!

Step 1) Recognize the potential joy-zapper.

Step 2) Admit we might have an issue if we stay right there too long and focus on it. Then...

Step 3) MOVE! Allow God to choose the preposition.

Moving involves allowing God to take the reigns and lead us out of our dilemma at His discretion. It means allowing God to take over and continue to trust, without a doubt, that He knows best and is fighting for us. After all, He wants to see us win! God can bring us through the fire trials, around any knee-busting pot hole, and over any mountain that might seem impassable or across any valley which lurks with shadows. Nothing is impossible with God. 

Moving means to continue to praise Him, just from a different position than we intended on being in. Praise Him when we're going up a mountain, when we're lagging behind the opposition, and when we feel we're between a rock and a hard place.

So, no matter where we find ourselves in this second month of the year, we can stop and refocus. If we've become distracted or feel at the bottom of a pit, we can ask God for help. We don't have to do it on our own. We no longer have to wallow in the slimy pit of distraction and discouragement. Pull those boots up and let's start MOVING beyond. We are more than conquerors! He can bring us up out of that pit, place us upon a rock and establish our goings. Say good-bye to joy-zappers today~