What to do when you are Sukkerpunched

   Do you ever feel like you are being sukkerpunched? I’m not talking little love taps. I am talking about someone or something is punching you as hard as they/it can. It may not be that you are literally being punched but it sure feels like it.

   Maybe someone was unfair to you at work. Your friend had to cancel when you had a meeting together. Your dad needs your help with a project but you have to get things done for work. Your grandma is having health problems. You try to do your best everywhere but you feel like you are failing for one reason or another. That is five punches all at once. And, because you care about all of these things/people, the punches just keep on coming.

   What could be worse than that? I’ll tell you: these punches are not just coming from others but also from yourself. Many times we end up beating ourselves up over everything we do wrong. We are our own worst critic.

   I don’t know about you, but I have had so many times in my life where I have beaten myself up for one reason or another. Most of the time I try to look at the positive side but it is hard to do when you are being punched all around.

What can we do if we are constantly being punched by others and ourselves? There are a few things I have found that help in these times.

   1. Look at the positive: though there be clouds in life you know behind the clouds there is always the sun. You may not be able to see it, but you know it is still there. No matter what situation you are in positive things can come out of it. You may not be able to see the positive at the time; but I’m sure if you look back at some of your hardest times you can see that good things did come out of them.

   2. Realize that when you feel like you are being hit a lot that it is either a test from God or a trial because the Devil doesn’t want you to grow/trust in God: there are times where just one bad thing happens after another. A good friend of mine once said that Satan attacks those who he sees as a threat. The closer we get to God the more we learn about him and want to share with others. Satan doesn’t like that and tries to dissuade us from our mission, but we cannot let him. We must stay positive.

   3. Going through trials helps us grow. Think about it: anytime you have gone through something bad and come through it did you end up learning more and becoming better? More than likely you answered yes. While we may not like whatever we are going through, we know that it helps us grow and learn.

   4. Know that everything happens for a reason: God does have a plan. We may not know what that reason or plan is but we know he works everything together for good. We just need to trust him.

   So, the next time you feel sukkerpunched what will you do? Will you think positively, realize that Satan doesn’t want you to grow, realize that going through trials helps you grow, and know that everything happens for a reason?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Peter 5:10, Romans 5:1-5