Many times in life, we will feel like quitting. I remember one particular day when things were going so bad for me. At work, at home, everything seemed to be weighing me down. It was a Saturday morning, and I had family events to attend, but all I could do was stay in bed and cry. I felt so depressed and discouraged.
Back then, I was not as far in my spiritual walk as I am now, so I had a hard time recognizing a powerful scripture:
“Because God is within me, I will not fall.” — Psalm 46:5
These words give me confidence and hope that all I need to succeed is within me.
In my life, this has proven true in various ways. I managed to withstand an extreme conflict with a colleague at my job. After more than a year of patiently enduring this without giving up hope and praying every day for a change, the day finally came when the colleague announced she had gotten a new job.
In my marriage, after enduring almost twenty years of an abusive and toxic relationship, I asked God for clarity and resolution, and He removed my husband from my life. When I was struggling with being overweight, I discovered the “green smoothie” lifestyle, which allowed me to lose and keep off almost 30lbs. Every step of the way, the Lord has been faithful to see me through life’s challenges.
My pastor spoke in one his sermons about the two ways you could go about living your life: surviving or thriving. You can either survive, barely making it through each day, or thrive by living up to your highest potential. I choose to thrive, and I believe that God equips us to do just that.
After sharing a bit of my story with a trusted mentor, she gifted me a bracelet with the words “THRIVE” on it. It has been a daily reminder of the way I want to live each day because that is what God calls us to do.
He teaches us to have joy in the midst of adversity. No matter how difficult the challenge may be, God promises that He will work all things out for our good when we trust in Him. When you are reminded of your identity in Christ and that you are a daughter of a King, it really puts things in perspective.
The enemy constantly tries to wear us down, and it starts in our minds. If we fill ourselves with God’s truths, we will overcome the lies that sometimes creep up in our heads.
Make a commitment to get to know God better through prayer, studying His word, and fellowship at a local church. That is what I did to grow in my relationship with God, and I know it can help you too. Don’t give up, you will not fall!
Ruth Hurtado is a Learning and Development Program Manager at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where she manages a Leadership Development program. She is also a Positive Psychology Coach. She has developed a course on Personal Resilience that she teaches to executives and college students. She is the Founder of Radiant Livin’ — a platform for coaching and training around Positive Psychology and Resilience. She loves to travel, walks in nature, and spending time with her family and friends.
