Admitting Defeat: 31 Day Praise & Worship Challenge

I started this month feeling broken and alone. Scrolling through Instagram helped me forget that, however momentarily. I scrolled by a friend dancing and giving praise. A 31-day praise challenge for the month of March.

The beautiful thing about God is that He can use anything to reach you. And He did. My friend looked beautiful (and coordinated) in her song and dance, but I wasn’t going to have any part in it. Just thank God for this friend’s inner and outer beauty and keep scrolling. Numb your mind to the issues. Don’t let God into the problem, thank Him, or praise Him in advance for the solutions. Or so I thought.

I commented under her post. By the time she replied, my spirit had made a suggestion:

Try this — only listen to praise and worship music when you want music to listen to. Don’t seek refuge in the world, set your ears and eyes on God.

So, I tried it. I was enthusiastic, at first, but wasn’t really tested until the evening. I wanted the bass and sass of a hip hop track to have me feeling strong and independent. I was ready to end the challenge with less than a 24-hour effort, but somehow I made it through. That was day one.

I ended the day still feeling broken, but at least I didn’t feel like a failure. That’s something. I’m looking forward to what this kind of focus can do for my emotional and mental health. Because in my own strength, I’m falling short.