Article By Angela Davis // EEW Magazine // Spiritual

We are all tested by life, and sometimes, God allows those tests and trials to come at us quickly and repeatedly.

When this happens, how in the world are we supposed to handle blow after blow, and continue pressing forward instead of burying our heads underneath the covers and giving up? Here are 5 things to do when life is testing you.

#1 Identify the source of your greatest stress: Once you get overly stressed, everything upsets you, frustrates you, annoys you, and overwhelms you. It all seems to run together. Before you spaz, and make the declaration that you can’t take any of this anymore, stop for a moment, and think about the real source of your greatest stress. If you’re not sure, pray, and ask God to help you zone in on what is bothering you the most. You cannot confront what you cannot identify.

#2 Pray specifically about those areas: Once you have identified what is vexing you the most, pray about those things directly. Instead of crying out to God about being generally overwhelmed, tell Him specifically what you don’t know how to handle right now, and ask for help with that. Is it a specific issue at work? A particular problem in your relationship? An emotional or mental struggle? A belief that you have failed? A disappointing outcome? Zone in on what it is.

#3 Fix what you can: When you start praying with specificity, you’ll be amazed by all the ways God helps you. He will show you how to address certain problems head-on and guide your steps in the right direction. Things won’t necessarily get better overnight, and you won’t have all the answers. Nevertheless, you can focus on what God is gracious enough to show you, and fix what you can as you trust Him to fix what you can’t. You will feel empowered when you take steps—even if they are just baby steps.

#4 Find ways to de-stress: When you feel yourself drowning under the weight of life’s pressures, don’t add more to your load, but lighten it. Focus on self-care. Relax a bit. Even if you have to say no to some things or cancel commitments you already made for the sake of your mental health, do that. There is no law against de-stressing. In fact, it is a must if you don’t want to completely break down. It is better to voluntarily withdraw from things than to be forced to withdraw after you have had a physical, emotional, or mental breakdown. Even Jesus had to steal away and get quiet sometimes, and He was the son of God!

#5 Only push forward in areas that matter: There are some things that are worth the effort, and you should push forward to do them. Once you have identified your priorities, and you know what really matters, devote your limited time and energy to those things exclusively. Everything else must be placed on the backburner. Honestly, your primary concern should be your relationship with God. No matter how bad you feel, don’t stop praying, searching Scripture for encouragement, and nurturing your spirit. When you take care of your spirit, God renews your strength and refreshes you, giving you more fuel to carry on.

Even the most spiritual person struggles despite appearing to have everything together, so don’t be too hard on yourself. When you hit a wall in life, do what a righteous king of Israel once did, and turn your face to that wall, and pray (Isaiah 38:2).

God will hear you, and He will help you.