Sometimes you feel stuck because you genuinely don't know what else to try.

You've changed your approach. You've asked people who know more than you. You've prayed about it. You've given it time. You've tried again.

Maybe you've spent years trying to help a child who keeps making the same poor choices. Maybe you've poured everything into something you were building and it still isn't working. Maybe you've been trying to break a habit that keeps finding its way back into your life. Or maybe your situation is completely different.

Whatever it is, you're not sitting around waiting for something to happen. You've tried. And that's what makes being stuck so exhausting.

Eventually, the question goes from “What else can I try?” to “What's the point of trying again?”

Before Peter became one of Jesus' disciples, Peter was a fisherman. One morning, Jesus found him and the other fishermen beside the lake washing their nets.

They had been fishing all night. And caught nothing. Then Jesus told Peter to take the boat into deeper water and let down the nets again.

Peter's response shows how exhausted he felt in that moment. "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." (Luke 5:5)

In other words, We've already tried.

Peter wasn't someone who needed to work harder. He had worked through the night. He knew how to fish. He had the right equipment. He had the experience. He had done what he knew to do and still had nothing to show for it.

But Peter continued: "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." So he went back out.

This time, they caught so much fish that their nets began to break.

When you've been disappointed again and again, it's easy to start thinking:

Nothing ever works for me.
Maybe things will always be this way.
Why bother getting my hopes up again?

That's what repeated disappointment can do. When one area of life isn't moving the way we hoped, eventually it can start to feel as though nothing else is.

But that's not always true.

Maybe the project you've spent years building still hasn't taken off, but you've learned things you couldn't have known when you started. Maybe you're still trying to help someone you love make better choices, but you've become wiser about what you can and cannot do for them. Maybe something you've been trying to learn still hasn't clicked, but the process has shown you another strength you didn't know you had.

Sometimes we become so focused on the one thing that isn't changing that we miss everything that is. The problem may still be there, but it shouldn't get to become the measure of your entire life.

When you've been dealing with the same problem for a long time, it's easy to keep seeing the same answers. That's one reason another person's perspective can help.

Maybe you've spent months trying to make something work and someone with more experience can immediately see what you're missing. Maybe you've been trying to handle a family problem alone when someone you trust could help you think through it. Maybe the habit you keep going back to needs more than another promise to yourself that “this time will be different.”

Asking for help doesn't guarantee someone else will have the answer.

But sometimes they will ask a question you haven't asked. Notice something you haven’t. Suggest something you've never considered.

Peter knew a lot about fishing. But that morning, he was willing to listen when Jesus told him to try something different.

Sometimes when you've run out of ideas, you need to stop asking yourself the same questions and let someone else look at the problem with you.

Give yourself permission to stop for a while. If you've been pushing at the same problem for months, you may simply be tired. Take a little time away from it if you can. Rest, clear your head and come back to it later. You don't have to solve everything today.

Let someone else look at it with you. Find someone you trust who understands the kind of problem you're facing. Tell them what you've already tried and ask, “Is there anything I'm missing?” A different pair of eyes may see something you can't.

Be willing to try something different. Doing more of what hasn't worked isn't always the answer. If there's another sensible approach you haven't tried, consider it. Sometimes getting unstuck means changing how you're doing something rather than putting more effort into the same thing.

Keep living while you work it out. Don't put your whole life on hold because one part isn't going the way you hoped. There are still people to love, moments to enjoy and things to be grateful for while you figure out what comes next.

When Jesus met Peter that morning, the empty nets in his hands represented an entire night of work. Hours on the water. Nets lowered again and again, only to come back empty every time.

If Peter had looked at those nets and decided there was no point ever lowering them again, we wouldn't have the story we have today.

Your situation may not change tomorrow. I can't promise that another attempt will suddenly make everything work. And sometimes the answer may be to stop trying the same thing and take an entirely different path.

But don't let what hasn't worked make you believe nothing ever will.

Rest if you need to. Ask for help. Try another way. Give yourself time. And when there is still something worth trying, don't let what happened before be the reason you stop trying now.

Never look at the empty net in your hands and assume there are no more fish in the sea.

✝ Kingdom Mantra

Is there an area of your life right now where you feel like Peter, exhausted, tried everything, and still have nothing to show for it? Hit reply to this email or drop a comment below if you are reading this on our website. I would love to hear from you and pray with you. God bless you and do have a great weekend. ❤️