Defeating the Funk

We've all come across people who have found themselves stuck in a rut of discouragement. Frankly, there's been times I've found myself there. Well, it's not fun and overcoming it can sometimes seem like scaling Mt. Everest. At any rate, it can be done and furthermore, we are intended to come out of it. There are several experiences that have helped me get over those seasons: (1) counting my blessings and being truly grateful for what I do have or don't have, for that matter; (2) getting attached to some Scriptural confessions that speak positively against the negative situation; (3) changing up my routine so that I see things from a different perspective... Let me add a fourth: SERVING OTHERS who can't personally give me back anything in return! To illustrate, I was dealing with a difficult number of months in a church I pastored. It was one of those seasons of funk with lots of misunderstandings and misstatements. An opportunity came along that I felt impressed to latch on to. It was shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit and relief efforts were well under way. I made contact with Convoy of Hope, one of those relief organizations, to see how a team from our church could help. Plans then came together to take a small group that I chose to lead down to a coastal area in Mississippi. For several days we went from handing out food and removing limps from roofs to tearing out water-damaged carpet and sheet rock in homes. We sleep in sleeping bags on the floor in a local church. It was exhilarating! And, long story short, I came back more encouraged and fueled for the coming days. This experience along with the other methods above enabled a huge turning point for me personally and my ministry.
Consider where you are right now... Maybe you're in that funk. You can come out. Try some of these suggestions, and I believe your emotional direction will change for the good as well.