Welcome my friends to season 3 of the Determined to Dance podcast. My prayer is that you’ll be encouraged to persevere daily in our chaotic world. Today’s episode, Reflect on God’s Goodness, discusses how to fight despair, disappointment, and apathy.

Show Notes: Reflect on God’s Goodness

The last three years have been difficult, to say the least. A pandemic, masks, businesses failing, a faltering economy, and gas and food prices on the rise daily. It would be easy to find ourselves fighting despair over the world we live in. Disappointment with life in general. And a feeling of apathy, that it’s all downhill from here.

But God is still good. His goodness, kindness, mercy, and grace still abound if we only take time to look. To take our focus off of all the negative around us, and focus our eyes instead on the God of the universe. The Alpha and the Omega.

My natural bent is toward being pessimistic and melancholy. I wrestle often with fear and dread, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But that’s not how God asked us to live. He wants us to remember His Word:

“I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13 NKJV
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 NKJV
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for His is good! For His mercy endures forever.” I Chronicles 16:34 NKJV
“I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.” Psalm 145: 5-7 NLT

His Word is good and true and full of wisdom. As we immerse ourselves to study and remember scripture, our natural bent can become positive and our focus true. God has taken a person like me, prone to depression and fear, and molded me into a person of encouragement. I still struggle but have many more good days than bad. All because of God and His unfailing love and goodness.

What has helped me most?

Reading His Word often. I use study guides, read different translations, and listen to sermons to help me understand what His Word is saying to me.
Listening to uplifting music. I listen to Christian music, and also to positive secular music, including classical and movie soundtracks.
Surrounding myself with uplifting people. One thing I cannot do is stay in the company of people who are always negative or gossiping or downing others. It pulls me down and hurts me emotionally.
Communicating with God constantly. I need Him every moment of every day or I quickly sink into being overwhelmed.
Writing down my feelings. Often, I journal the good, the bad, and the ugly. But I focus on what He’s done that has made my life worth living.

Jeff Walling says: “So what about you? Can you make your own list? Reflect on the good things God has put in your life. Don’t overlook past experiences and precious memories. Consider faithful friends and loving family. And when your list is done, don’t hide it in a drawer; keep it handy for emergencies. Post it on your bathroom mirror. Tack it on your dashboard. You never know when the crowd may attack or the day go sour. Then make a commitment. Take a solemn vow that you will dance with God even when you don’t feel like it.”

Just last week, I found myself experiencing that sinking feeling. Nothing was wrong. It was rainy and the writing wasn’t coming easy and I just felt a little frustrated. So, I drew a deep breath and began to list all God was doing in my life. Before long, I was okay again.

One last thought. If life is hard and I can’t seem to find any good, I can focus on my future. A wonderful time that will be spent with God. Throughout eternity.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,