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Are You Stuck in the Doldrums?

Gary Keesee • Oct 24, 2017

Have you ever heard the word “doldrums”?

As in, “She’s stuck in the doldrums,” or “He has a case of the doldrums” ?

You can call it a pit, a funk, or whatever you want, but the real definition of doldrums is a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression.

That speaks volumes doesn’t it?

The word “doldrums” has an interesting history. It’s actually an old term coined by seafarers and sailors that referred to parts of the ocean where there are no winds.

The doldrums were a dangerous place to be. Because when the winds disappear, sail-powered boats would be trapped for days or weeks.

Trapped.

Stuck.

We’ve all been there at some point.

Maybe you’re there now.

How do you know if you’re stuck in the doldrums?

  1. You’ve been faking it. You’ve been acting like everything is going great, but it really isn’t.
  2. You’ve been putting stuff off, and avoiding. You know something isn’t right, but you’re not doing anything to fix it. In fact, you may just keep distracting yourself.
  3. You’ve given up. You have no hope. You don’t see how things are going to ever get any better.

If that’s you, you need to wake up right now. You need to get some wind back in your sails. You need to get unstuck.

Because what happened to the ships and the sailors that would get stuck in the doldrums?

They were lost.

So, what can you do to get out of the doldrums?

1. Think about what you’ve been thinking about.
Your thoughts are seeds. They’re pictures. What you listen to, what you look at, the things you do, and the friends you hang around all produce thoughts— pictures —in your mind whether you realize it or not. When you begin to concentrate on those pictures, they produce desire. And desire can cause you some serious trouble. In fact, the Bible says that desire drags us. It produces a plan to get what it wants and that plan can take you to a place you never thought you’d be. Don’t get me wrong—that can be a good thing if you’re thinking about good things, like the promises of God. Your good desires can help guide you toward success.

So, what are you thinking? Does it line up with God’s Word?

2. Ask yourself some questions.
What have I been looking at? What have I been watching? How much time have I spent in the Word of God this week? Who am I listening to? Who is giving me advice? Is it the enemy, who will lie to me? Is it the world? Is it my problems? Is it Facebook?

If so, it’s time to make some real changes.

3. Start seeing things from God’s perspective.
The goal of the enemy is always to make your problem or circumstance look bigger than God. Train yourself not to be moved off of what God says. Stay in faith with what heaven says about you, about your situation, and about the Kingdom of God. Cast those thoughts that don’t line up with what God says down. Tell the enemy to shut up.

4. Reflect on what God has already done in your life.
Remember the times He’s done small things, or big things, or amazing, incredible things—so you can remember that God was with you then and still is now. Think about the love He has for you and how far He’s brought you.

Each memory builds on the last, and you can’t get out of the doldrums if you don’t spend time reflecting on all God has already done.

If you have a hard time remembering things, keep a journal. Write down the stories, or even just a sentence. Hold onto mementos. Rehearse memories and victories every chance you get.

5. Know that the light is in you.
Stop thinking you’re not much of an example. Remember you are a child of God. Our tendency as human beings is to look at the natural, to trust in the natural, and to look at our past failures. But the Bible tells us that the promise comes by faith and it’s guaranteed by grace. It’s God’s grace that does the work. It’s not about you—it’s about you and God. That’s what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about. You shall receive power to witness , to be the light , to be the demonstration.

It just takes a willingness to step up and say, “I’ll do that.” People all around you have problems. They need God and God needs you. All you have to do is step into their lives for a second. You don’t have to have it all together or even know what to say. God knows. All you have to do is be available.

It will take courage, so make a decision that you won’t be intimidated. Remember that darkness is intimidated by light. Remember that YOU are the light.

Remember that you’ll never change your life until you change the way you think.

5 Steps to Release the Kingdom in Your Life

By Gary Keesee • 10 Apr, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 13 secs – In John 6, we read the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you know it? It’s where we see Jesus teaching the disciples how to release the Kingdom of God into the earth realm. Basically, a large crowd was following Jesus, listening to Him teach, and watching Him perform miracles. It got to a point where the people needed to eat, and Jesus asked the disciples what they planned to feed the people. Of course, Jesus knew the disciples would freak out. They couldn’t feed 5,000 people. In fact, they started talking about how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy just a bite for that many people. Jesus was teaching the disciples, and He was teaching us— the Kingdom of God has all the answers you need . How can you release the Kingdom of God into your life? Here are the five steps Jesus took. 1. Look at what you have. Jesus asked the disciples what they had to feed the people. What do you have in your life that you can give God to work with? Jesus multiplied bread into bread and fish into fish. What do you need multiplied in your life? Find some of it. That’s your seed. Also, remember that money can be named. You don’t sow money to believe for more paper or digital money. Money represents your life and can be named to be the thing you need multiplied. 2. Make sure you’re in faith. “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1, GNT). You have to know how to judge whether or not you’re in faith. How? Do you have the right picture? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Do you see yourself with the thing you’re believing for? Can you defend your position? Why do you believe it? Prove it! Because you can be sure that between the “Amen” and the “There it is!” the enemy is going to contend for it, so you better be able to defend it. Do you have joy, expectancy, and peace? Are you in agreement with your spouse? 3. Confess over what you have, and release it in faith. Be specific. Say exactly what you’re believing for and release the seed to God. 4. Get the plan from God. Be ready for new direction, new ideas, and new concepts by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Carry a notepad and a pen. Write everything down. 5. Act quickly! When God gives you the plan, MOVE! It’s wise to have counselors and get wisdom, but you need to act swiftly on any direction you receive from the Holy Spirit.

Want Growth and Success? Here Are 10 Steps to Help Take You There

By Gary Keesee • 13 Mar, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 34 secs – How can you make sure you’re equipped for the growth coming your way this year? Here are my 10 steps to posture yourself for opportunity and success. 1. Ask yourself how you’re handling your current responsibilities. Don’t run from your responsibilities. No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you should be a success. People will still see the evidence of God even if you think you’re in the wrong spot. 2. Detox your life of the things that keep you from having time to think. We live in a fast-paced world. There are plenty of things that can keep you distracted. But it’s in the moments that you stop to think that you’ll find ways to solve problems, and that’s where the opportunities are. So figure out what is consuming your time. Start saying no to some things. Find time to think. 3. Don’t hang around people who are always losing. I know people hit rough spots, but if the people in your life are chronically losing, it’s time to expand your circle. Hang around people who are better than you are, who don’t see things as impossible, and who have vision. It may be uncomfortable for you, but their influence will cause you to think differently. 4. Write down EVERY idea that you have, no matter how strange it seems. Most people filter opportunities and ideas through what they perceive their ability to be. This means most people discard ideas by the dozens because they don’t think they can do them. But God isn’t limited to what you know how to do. The ideas He gives you might seem so weird to you that you can’t process them fully. Write them down so you have time to think about them. 5. Research. Research. Repeat. You don’t need to know how to do something; you need to know how to learn how to do it. Research until you find what you’re looking for. 6. Count the cost before you jump. A lot of Christians hear God and jump out too soon, resulting in catastrophe. There are seasons for everything. God will prepare you for where He wants you to go. Be patient. 7. Always be in agreement with your spouse. Never, ever march out into battle without your spouse being in total agreement and your faith aligned. 8. Ask God for direction. Ask Him to help you, to show you where to go, and what to do. And always remember that prophecy from other people shouldn’t lead you; it should only confirm what God has already said to you. 9. Commit to never quit. Quitting is not an option. Once you’ve moved, don’t move again until God speaks to you. Stay with it. Walk it out. Don’t quit. So many people have so much potential, but they get uncomfortable and they quit. If you want to win, you should always be stretching. 10. Get ready to embrace bigger things. Your ability to see the big picture will keep growing as you change and grow on the inside. You’ll pick up on even more opportunities. For more principles, check out this FREE video on success.

The Consequences of Strife: Why You Should Never Allow It in Your Life

By Drenda Keesee • 14 Feb, 2024
Reading Time 2 mins 59 secs – A stuffed toy laid in the road at the scene of the accident. As we passed, the Lord spoke to me, “ Okay, this is your last warning. Are you going to continue this? You know you are opening the door to the enemy.” Gary and I had had a disagreement just before we had left the house for our family road trip. And there we were six hours in and we’d barely said a word to one another. Six hours. You think driving from Ohio to Tennessee is a long stretch of highway? Try doing it while giving someone the silent treatment. One word: torture. Then we passed the accident. Gary and I both felt the same conviction when we passed it, especially because it clearly involved children. But... pride. We knew what we were doing wasn’t good. (What kind of example is it to your children to ignore each other?) But neither of us wanted to lay down our pride. I kept hearing the voice of the Lord, and I’d think, No, I’m not going to fix this thing, because then I’ll have to talk to him. It was almost a competition to see who could hold our grudge for the longest. But strife is dangerous stuff. What is strife? Drama, conflict, friction, disagreement, bickering, arguing, bad blood, disputes… whichever words you use to describe it, it’s dangerous. Whether it’s between you and your spouse, you and your child, you and a friend, you and a family member, or you and a coworker, you don’t want to let strife remain in your life. The Bible says that where there is strife, there is confusion and there is every evil work (James 3:16). Our small argument between Gary and I had gone unchecked and had escalated, and neither one of us were listening to the voice of the Lord. And there were consequences for our strife and outright disobedience. About an hour after we passed the accident, a car pulled out in front of our vehicle, and we were in what could have been a very serious car accident. I started yelling the name of Jesus, and God supernaturally protected our entire family. Initially, it looked as though there were going to be serious issues. They told us our son’s spleen might rupture. I was pregnant, and the doctors worried that I might lose the baby. Through all of these things, we stood on the Word of God, and we all came out unharmed, including the young preacher’s son who had pulled out in front of us (he was in disobedience at that moment too). Even in the midst of this difficult situation, through our prayers, standing on God’s Word, and our children’s words to the medical personnel, we had opportunities to minister and impact the little county hospital we had to visit. The enemy tried to take us out, but he lost. We were responsible for opening the door to the enemy. But the name of Jesus is more powerful than our mistakes and circumstances, and that is what kept us protected. You MUST stay on guard and not allow strife in your life, with anyone. How? Here are just three quick tips: Bite your tongue. You don’t have to say everything you think. Don’t lash out or give the silent treatment. Work on communicating with others in a healthy way. Repent quickly and forgive quickly. Take responsibility; admit when you’re wrong. Say you’re sorry and ask for forgiveness. Don’t hold onto hurts. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven by Jesus.
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