Have you ever felt like that? You make progress but then experience events that push you back further behind than where you started? In actuality, you didn't progress but regressed.
This is how I have been feeling lately. Emotions, events, expectations, etc. Some days I contend hard and believe I am on top of the mountain, and then other days, I struggle at the bottom and just glare up at the mound. Frankly, when you experience setback after setback, it's hard to be motivated and hopeful.
When I sense I'm sliding backward, God reminds me it's not an uphill battle that I have to engage in by myself. He surrounds me with people. I have the choice of allowing confidants in and receiving their strength and support. I have the image of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arms up when the Israelites were in battle with the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-16.
As long as Moses held up his arms, the Israelites would prevail, but the Amalekites grew stronger whenever he lowered his arms. When Moses' arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur took a stone and put it under Moses, and he sat on it, and then Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms so Israel would triumph.
Even though I'm pretty private and an introvert, I'm finding it invaluable to surround myself with trusted individuals to hold me up when I can't do it by myself. We are meant to do life with one another. And when we do, we may find ourselves actually moving two steps forward and one step back.
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