Hope from the Bible When We Can’t Find Motivation

In Psalm 52, David seems a little more than frustrated with a traitor who loved “lying more than speaking what is right.” (Psalm 52:3) But what captured my attention most about this psalm is how David described himself, as someone who trusted the Lord, no matter what. In spite of every hardship David endured under the hand of Saul, he chose to compare himself to an olive tree. And by looking at what that comparison means, we can find the motivation to keep going, even through dormant seasons.

Finding It Hard to Get Motivated?

The olive tree may seem like a strange choice for David in that situation, but what he needed was the hope to persevere when things were at their worst, or when life brought more bad news his way. Maybe we’ve all been feeling a little unmotivated lately, so let’s take a look at 3 characteristics of the olive plant that can give us hope to find our motivation once again.

1. The olive tree is resilient. The oldest olive trees in history lived to be between 3000 and 4000 years old. Even more remarkable, at this age they still bear a crop of fruit every year. These trees are a symbol of longevity and perseverance.

2. The olive tree is valuable. Every part of the tree is useful and desired. The fruit is used for food, the oil for cooking and light. The leaves are used for medicine, and even the wood is valued by wood-workers.

3. The olive tree is determined. When the olive tree is chopped close to the ground, it easily sprouts back.

Through every trial in his life, David relied on God to be his source, so he could continue moving forward. God’s mercy is constant and unchanging. When we count on his strength to endure, we too can find the motivation to keep going, and bloom when the time is right:)

One of my favorite verses can be found in 2 Corinthians. “For we live by believing, and not by seeing.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT)

The NKJV of the verse puts it this way, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

As much as I love this uplifting verse, there are some days when I don’t feel like I’m walking by faith at all. Days when I’m searching for the faith I know is real and that I desperately need. When the trials of this world surround me, and I wonder if my meager offering of faith is enough.

So, what can we do when we feel like we’re lacking in our faith?

Woman holding fall foliage. Text reads, 3 words to remember when your faith is weak.

When things are going well, it’s easier to say “I walk by faith,” but when trials come, my ability to stay faith-filled is tested.

How to Develop Steadfast Faith

God knew we would have times when our faith is weak, and He gave us help in His Word to encourage us when weakness threatens the trust we have in Him.

Men and women throughout Scripture had times when their faith waned. And from their stories, we can find the help we need. Their stories will build our faith as we continue growing in our relationship with God.

3 Words to Boost Our Faith

I recall a time in my life when I didn’t know if my prayers were effective. I was afraid to pray for healing—for myself or others—because I thought if God didn’t answer the way I wanted, then that was somehow a reflection of my level of faith.

But through the challenges of life, I’ve learned to trust God’s sovereignty as I continue to pray. My responsibility is to hold onto Jesus as the anchor for my soul and believe God for the outcome. God is good. God is faithful. And God hears us when we invite him into our pain.

Verse 2 corinthians 5 and 7, for we live by believing and not by seeing.

When our faith feels weak and we need encouragement to keep believing, I like to turn to Numbers 14. In this passage, the Israelites were once again complaining and wanting to turn around and return to Egypt. The Lord’s anger rose against them, but Moses intervened.

He reminded himself and the Lord of his promises with these 3 words: For you said…

“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” (Numbers 14:17-19 NLT)

Pin this post, 3 words to remember when your faith is weak.

Moses’ declaration helps me remember that even though we all experience times when we don’t see how God could possibly work things out, God’s Word is sure and unchanging.

So today, if your mind is swirling with questioning thoughts like…

I don’t know how anything good can come from this.

How could God allow this to happen?

How are we going to get through this?

Take heart, and remember these 3 words, “For you said.” Then fill in the rest of the sentence with promises from Scripture, like these:

For you said, I am your chosen child.

For you said, you will never leave me.

For you said, you will guide and protect me.

Friend, let’s not believe the lie that says if we are good Christians, we won’t experience days of weak faith. We will, and that’s okay. For it’s in those days we learn to rely on Him more than ever before. Our weakness will remind us to renew our trust in God to be our strength.

God’s Word promises, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I share more about applying the truth of these verses to our moments of doubt in chapter 6 of my book, Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God, including this passage below:

“Even though the Israelites refused to accept the promise God offered, that didn’t stop a faithful few from praying. Aaron and Moses cried out to their Lord what they new to be true… Although it looked as if the plan was delayed, the leaders continued to live as if God wouldn’t fail.” - Cinched book

To find out more about the Cinched book, visit the book page here.