The words jumped out at me from the page.

“Do the next thing.”

As simple as this phrase might seem, some days life can stop us in our tracks.  Whether we are struggling physically–or emotionally hanging on by a thread, our minds can be overcome by a sense of futility.

“I’ll never (be/do/accomplish that)… so why try?”

“I can’t (lose weight/make a difference/change my circumstance)… so what’s the point?”

“I don’t want to (face it/start it/finish it)… so I’ll avoid it.”

“It just seems so impossible (difficult to understand/difficult to deal with)… so why trust?”

If you read my post, The Wise Woman, you might remember that I quoted Elisabeth Elliot, a popular Christian author and speaker, the wife of martyred missionary Jim Elliot:

It seems the Lord is continuing to bring this thought to my mind–maybe for future reference, or maybe for someone else who needs to hear it today.

“Christ in me” is an incredible reminder that a life well-lived is not one that is necessarily free of difficulty.  Let me say that again:  Christ never promised that our life would be easy!

But He did promise peace in the process:

“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”  John 16:33

Victory can be a reality for you but you must choose to rely on His strength and not your own.

Especially on the days when we don’t want to get out of bed.

“Fear not tomorrows, child of the King, Trust them with Jesus, DO THE NEXT THING.”

“On the day I called, You answered me; You increased strength within me…”  Psalm 138:3

**This post was shared on the Salt and Light link-up Facebook page and InstaEncouragments Weekly Christian Link-up.