By Michael Bozeman, MA, LPC
Special to The Alabama Baptist
If we are not careful, the word “despair” could easily be used to describe how we have felt during the last couple of months.
Our normal was taken away from us in the blink of an eye. The security we once felt was challenged by something we could not change.
Maybe we did not get sick or lose someone to COVID-19, but we all have felt the ramifications of this disease. We will all have to learn how to navigate this new normal.
If I am being completely honest, there have been moments throughout this season that I have found myself in a desperate place. This desperation comes from living inside of something that is completely out of my control.
My anxiety has been on a rollercoaster most days. I go back and forth between complete trust in the Lord, and then wondering, “Lord, are you listening to me?”
The uncertainty of what the future will look like can easily overwhelm us and keep us in a place of hopelessness, but there are steps we can take to get ahead of that and avoid despair.
‘Christ on His throne’
It is in these moments I am thankful we can call out to the Lord and trust His word to us that He will never leave us or forsake us.
I can take solace in the fact that even in a world that seems to be spinning out of control, Christ remains on His throne, and His love and care for each of us has not changed even a little.
I have found myself drawn to the Psalms during this time when my fears and anxieties are so loud.
In Psalm 34, David writes he sought the Lord, and the Lord heard him. It wasn’t just the fact that the Lord heard him, but he goes on to say He delivered him from all his fears.
I am thankful the same God who was able to rescue David from his despair is the same God who comes to our aid in times of hopelessness.
Even when the enemy tries his hardest to make me believe something opposite, Christ remains the answer.
So as we start to navigate this new normal, it is important that we filter everything through the lens of the truth of the gospel.
It is imperative that we surround ourselves with people who will help hold us accountable to seek the truth.
I have told many people that the most fulfilling part of my job most days is I get to help people as they finally see clearly the lies of the enemy. I get to watch as their spiritual eyes are opened and the lie they’ve heard no longer becomes something that has a hold on them.
The enemy will continue to bring doubt and fear. He will continue to try to make us believe in some way we are in control of our future, yet the beautiful truth of the gospel is that every time, the lie will never overcome the truth.
What does it look like for us to continue to move forward as we come out of this season? Where do we turn when we seem to not be able to get our bearings? Maybe we need someone to help us see things clearly who isn’t directly involved in what we are personally experiencing.
Having a Bible-believing counselor to talk with could be life-giving. These counselors can sit with us through the struggle from a nonjudgmental place. Counseling offers the opportunity for us to talk about our hardest things in a safe environment.
Christ never intended for us to do this life alone. Proverbs 27 reminds us we are to sharpen each other just as iron sharpens iron. We do that when we allow people into what is really happening in our lives.
In a society that often tells us to be strong and never let people know our struggles, we drive a deathblow to the enemy’s plan to isolate us when we are open and honest about the despair we feel.
Openly and honestly assess where you are emotionally as well as spiritually during this season. Take the necessary steps to become the healthiest you possible. Take time in your day for self-care. Self-care looks different for each of us. Maybe it is reading a favorite book, going for a walk, cooking a new recipe or learning a new skill. Look for those moments to take care of yourself.
Dispel the darkness
Surround yourself with people who will come alongside you and point you to truth. Engage the Word daily and allow it to dispel the lies of the enemy. Walking in the truth some days is really hard, but the great news is that it always produces what the Lord intends for it to produce.
We are all in this together and learning to navigate this new normal. No playbook has been written on how to handle all that has happened. Each day becomes something new, and we possess the opportunity to allow the weight of hopelessness and despair to overtake us or to trust in the promises of the Word.
I pray as we continue to push through, the Lord will be where we turn, and we will allow the light to always do what it does and dispel the darkest of places.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Faith & Family is a bi-monthly look at important spiritual, cultural and relational issues facing today’s families. Go to PathwaysProfessional.org/blog for more articles on contemporary topics like these. Michael Bozeman is a licensed professional counselor serving in Birmingham and northeast Alabama with Pathways Professional Counseling, a sister ministry of Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries.
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