God Guides Us Through Challenges
Count it all joy, brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)
For several years, I’ve tried to pretend I did not have ADHD. I didn’t want to admit any limitations because I was concerned it would keep me from reaching my life goals. Yet, I took a test and had a perfect score on the ADHD test. Growing up, I was described as “hyper” and had trouble focusing. My mother would say, “If your head weren’t attached, you’d lose it!” I wanted to be a good listener, but any tiny distraction would pull me away from the conversation, no matter how hard I tried to stay connected. If I wasn’t focused on something I enjoyed, I couldn’t stick with it for more than a few minutes. I often blamed moving in childhood for my lack of math skills, but the truth is closer to ADHD. Yet, I am not frustrated with my situation.
I believe God’s Spirit has guided my learning of how to adjust and overcome adversity. It’s taken a lifetime to learn the habits that allow me to remain calm with an ADHD brain. I was thrilled to read Nick Wignall’s article “6 Habits of Exceptionally Calm People” because it described some of the tools I consciously and unconsciously embraced to be productive despite being me. “Keep your expectations in check.” Expectations, according to Wignall, “give us the illusion of control in the short term.” Yet, over time, they just stress us out. A vision and goals are important, but expectations are harmful because they often impose unfair demands on us. We can reach vision and objectives in several ways, but expectations force us to fit the result through a narrow window.
“Take responsibility for your actions, not outcomes.” Feeling hyper all the time makes one anxious. This anxiety enters every area of life, and soon we internalize adverse outcomes due to our lack of focus. No wonder there is an intimate relationship between anxiety and depression. Finally, I appreciated Wignall’s recognition that there is “The Joy of Missing Out.” People with ADHD often have excessive energy and are easily distracted, so missing out is an ADHD nightmare. Yet, Wignall reminds us, “Truly calm people are in the habit of making decisions based on their long-term values and wellbeing, not passing impulses and insecurities.” Learning to calm our minds gives us control back so we can focus on what is of lasting value.
You may not have ADHD, but we all struggle with life challenges. We can accept our limitations and give up, or we can find ways to thrive anyway. First, we are not scared to face life’s challenges because we know God will guide us through our struggles. Second, the Holy Spirit can calm our anxious minds, so we can focus on who and what is essential in life. So today, do not give up or give in; recognize your limitations because we all have them. Then, prayerfully invite God into those limitations and allow the Spirit to push and prod us through our restraints to a place of growth and productivity. Remember, God wants us to thrive and will lead us to a place of meaning and productivity.