A Message from Pastor Steve Goode
There are moments in life when getting out of bed is not the hardest part of the day. The hardest part is finding the courage to face what comes next.
I'm not talking about being physically tired. I'm talking about those times when something happens in your life that leaves you emotionally and spiritually immobilized.
You know you need to do something. You know life must go on. But something inside you just doesn't want to move.
I know what that feels like.
On August 25, 2000, I lost my father. That day changed my life in ways I wasn't prepared for. I knew the Scriptures. I believed in God's promises. I had preached to others about the comfort and faithfulness of the Lord.
But suddenly, I was the one who needed that comfort.
There were times when I struggled to get moving. Making decisions felt overwhelming. Taking action seemed frightening. It wasn't that I had abandoned my faith. I was grieving, and grief had affected me more deeply than I could explain.
Perhaps you've been there.
Maybe you've lost someone you loved. Maybe your marriage has been shaken. Maybe your family is facing something you never imagined. Maybe a medical diagnosis has changed everything.
Or perhaps your struggle is something nobody else can see.
Depression. Anxiety. Fear. Disappointment.
And while everyone around you seems to be moving forward, you feel stuck.
The Apostle Paul understood what it meant to be knocked down.
In 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, Paul describes believers as afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. But notice what he says about each condition.
Afflicted, but not crushed.
Perplexed, but not driven to despair.
Persecuted, but not forsaken.
Struck down, but not destroyed.
Paul never claimed that following Jesus would prevent suffering. In fact, his life demonstrated the opposite.
But Paul understood something that we desperately need to remember.
Being knocked down is not the same thing as being finished.
One of the Christian counselors whose writings have influenced me is Edward Welch. In his work on depression and suffering, Welch reminds us that darkness can be stubborn. Healing is not always immediate, and hurting people need more than someone telling them to cheer up.
They need compassion. They need truth. They need hope.
And ultimately, they need Christ.
Jesus understands suffering. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. He experienced betrayal, rejection, and unimaginable agony.
Our Savior does not stand at a distance from hurting people.
He enters their suffering.
That means when you're lying awake at night wondering whether you can face another day, you're not beyond the reach of God's grace.
And I want you to understand something else.
You do not have to feel completely better before you take the next faithful step.
Sometimes that step is getting out of bed.
Sometimes it's making a phone call.
Sometimes it's admitting that you need help.
Sometimes it's talking with a trusted Christian friend, pastor, counselor, or medical professional.
Sometimes it's simply whispering, "Lord, I don't know how to move forward. But I trust You to help me."
Don't mistake a season of healing for spiritual failure. There are times when resting, grieving, and receiving help are exactly the faithful steps God has placed before us.
But don't surrender your future to the belief that your present circumstances will never change.
The God who sustained Paul is still faithful today.
You may be wounded.
You may be frightened.
You may be exhausted.
But you are not abandoned.
And by God's grace, there can be another chapter.
You may be down. But you're not done.
Pastor Steve Goode
Northside Baptist Church | Greensboro, NC
northsidegreensboro.com
