Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

James‬ ‭5‬:‭13

What’s the first thing you do when you’re suffering?

I don’t usually think to pray or praise. At least not initially.

Sometimes I will turn to prayer, but usually I’ll gripe a bit, feel bad for myself, and/or look for a distraction.

I don’t do well attacking a problem head on. I don’t seem to want to actually address issues.

I’d prefer to skirt them. To avoid them. To pretend my way around them.

The expectation that I should feel good all the time follows me around and throws me off kilter.

I shouldn’t so much expect to feel good as I should be prepared to combat the spiritual battles that are bred from that selfish attitude.

As with my addiction, the remedy seems counterintuitive. It seems a flimsy suggestion that prayer and praise would do much for me.

But there I go again thinking that I’m the important thing. This is what puts me in imbalance.

Prayer rightly opens the door to communion with God. It rightly focuses me when I’d rather look inward at my own perceived wants and needs.

Praise forces me out of the trough of morbid reflection and allows me to take responsibility for my part in my faith.

Most of my bad attitudes are the lazy results of a lack of true perspective on my life and my part in it.

God, I’m lazy; remove the bitter excuses I use to stand still.