Have You Ever Felt Stuck?
Life can be hard, We sometimes feel stuck and often want to accomplish more, but don't know where to turn for help. Have you ever felt "stuck" in a situation like one of these below?
- Disliking your job and not knowing how to get a different one
- Facing an important project and not knowing how to proceed
- Working with a difficult person and not knowing how to get along
- Trying to change someone’s behavior and getting no positive results
- Trying to change a personal habit and repeatedly reverting back to it
Whether in our personal or professional lives, it is normal to come across a challenge which requires a solution beyond our natural abilities.
I love Ether 12:27 from The Book of Mormon because it has the answer to getting unstuck that literally gets me throxugh each day:
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Being Stuck is Being Human
There’s no use denying or feeling ashamed about being stuck or being weak. It is an inherent part of being human. God knew this, and He gave us direct access to Him through prayers.
- Feeling overwhelmed? Pray for peace.
- Feeling distracted? Pray for focus.
- Feeling impatient? Pray for charity.
- Feeling tired? Pray for energy.
- Feeling puzzled? Pray for creativity.
- Feeling discouraged? Pray for hope.
- Feeling confused? Pray for clarity.
Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list of all the issues we face and of all the things we could pray for., but I experience at least a couple of these challenges every day at work.
It may seem oversimplistic to simply pray for help, but I believe we often suffer unnecessarily by thinking in circles or overexerting ourselves when we can simply ask God to help us – His weak, imperfect human children for whom He gave the gift of His Son Jesus Christ to redeem.
Our Heavenly Father knows our every weakness as well as our divine potential and Jesus Christ has suffered through all the challenges we have and more. He is the ultimate source of peace, focus, charity, energy, creativity, hope, clarity, and every other thing we need to overcome our challenges.
When we are feeling weak, we must also remember 2 Timothy 1:7 from the New Testament:
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
God Empowers Us to Get Unstuck
As soon as we fear not being enough of something, we can be sure that feeling comes from Satan, not God. God seeks to empower us and strengthen us to solve problems, overcome temptations, and do hard, righteous things.
Below are a few barriers people encounter when they could be praying to God for help:
1. Excessive Self-Reliance
I’ve heard many faithful people say that they don’t want to burden God with their trivial issues, that they should give absolutely all of their effort before calling on God for help. In response, I would recommend Brad Wilcox’s famous BYU devotional “His Grace is Sufficient.”
Yes, of course, God wants us to use our own strengths and resources to solve problems, but He is not a hands-off kind of God. Heavenly Father is ready to jump in and help us bear the burden, pull the load, lift us up, and carry us if necessary. All we need to do is ask, as is repeated many times throughout scripture, such as in Matthew 21:22:
All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
2. Lack of Articulation
Sometimes we forget that God knows us inside and out – all our thoughts and feelings are transparent to Him. He knows what we need without our asking for it. The act of asking, which He requires, is meant to strengthen our faith and deepen our relationship with Him.
Romans 8:26 is a soothing reminder:
The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We just need to call upon Him and say whatever we can muster, and He can fill in the gaps and smooth our grammar.
3. Lack of Faith
Sometimes we feel unworthy to talk to God because we don’t have a perfect testimony of the gospel. Our belief in Him and His power is imperfect and wavering. That is the wonderful grace of God. He will help us even with our faith. Mark 9:24 gives a beautiful example of this:
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Let God Help You Get Unstuck
You may have heard that God doesn’t care what we choose to do for a career, as long as it’s an honest occupation. That may be true (some people feel a distinct vocational calling in life) but God cares about what we care about, even if He knows it is trivial in the eternal scheme.
That work project due next week that you’re losing sleep over – He wants to help you get it done well and on time. That coworker who tests your patience – He wants to help you love your neighbor. That promotion you’re working for – He wants to help you provide for your family and be financially stable. He wants us to not only be faithful but also successful and satisfied in our careers of choice.
Life requires a lot out of us to survive and to thrive. The whole purpose of our challenging lives here on Earth is to grow and learn, which cannot happen without frustration, mistakes, pain, and suffering. God knew this from the beginning and offers us a constant lifeline through the gift of prayer. We can readily use this gift in our personal and professional lives to reach our full potential.
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