{"id":9532,"date":"2012-05-01T09:48:00","date_gmt":"2012-05-01T14:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites-stage.familylife.com\/flministries\/?p=9532"},"modified":"2012-05-01T09:48:00","modified_gmt":"2012-05-01T14:48:00","slug":"feeling-lost-in-the-middle-of-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/articles\/topics\/life-issues\/challenges\/mental-and-emotional-issues\/feeling-lost-in-the-middle-of-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeling Lost in the Middle of Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What You Need to Know<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When we are young, we think like an astronaut; we are always looking up and out. With the majority of life before us, we act like the sky is the limit. Even if we haven’t fulfilled all of our dreams, we believe we still have plenty of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in midlife we stop living like astronauts and start acting like archaeologists. We spend time digging through the mound of our existence, looking for the pottery shards of past situations and relationships that would make sense of our lives. This is painful because you can’t do that archaeological work without facing three things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first issue is physical aging. In the past you were younger and, in some ways, more vibrant. You had more energy and required less sleep. You didn’t worry about what you were eating or how you felt. But now your body is talking back to you and forcing you to be concerned about your health. You might even be struggling with a chronic illness or injury. You can no longer ignore your own mortality or pretend you will live forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your midlife archaeological work also forces you to face the death of your dreams. You realize that some of what you hoped to do is just not going to happen. You carried your dreams like personal luggage for years, and now you must face putting them down. It’s hard to let go\u2014they were a part of what kept you going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, you probably struggle with regret. None of us can look back and say, “I was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be.” We have failed to do what God asked of us, and we have even failed to live up to our own standards. So we look back and regret decisions we made, words we spoke, and actions we took. We are entering the autumn of our lives; the leaves are off the trees, and we cannot put them back again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t be alarmed\u2014God is at work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are experiencing these things don’t be alarmed\u2014everyone faces these issues at some point in their lives. It is painful to honestly assess your life, and it is tempting to think you can turn off the pain by changing your life. Some people quit their jobs, leave their spouse, or spend too much money. But changing your circumstances won’t help you deal with the issues you are facing\u2014you will only be distracted for a short time. Instead, ask yourself, “What is God doing in my life?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is doing what He always does\u2014using difficult circumstances to uncover what is really in your heart. He wants you to go through the pain of honest self-examination so you can reach new heights in your relationship with Him and in your usefulness in His kingdom. As you honestly examine your heart, God will show you the enormous opportunities you have in midlife for growth and change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heart issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Struggles with physical aging, with the death of our dreams, and with regret reveal that we have trusted more in what God gave us than in Him. The apostle Paul says when we do this we have “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” (Romans 1:25, ESV) We relied on our physical vitality and our abilities. We found security in our decisions, and we trusted in our righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God is using the challenges of midlife to bring you to the end of yourself so you can repent of your self-reliance. Then He wants you to find your identity, meaning, security, and purpose in Him. God wants you to see that without Him you are desperate, and then pray for help like David who said, “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy” (Psalm 86:1, ESV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God will answer your prayers and help you. The struggles of midlife are not meant to punish you, instead they are the arms of God reaching out and drawing you to Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What You Need to Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recognize the spiritually unhealthy ways in which you are dealing with the challenges of midlife.<\/strong> There are a number of temptations that you might experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n