Lord, how long will You continually forget me?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
– Psalm 13:1

As coaches, we have all watched helplessly as gifted athletes suddenly go into a “funk” and can’t hit a baseball, make a foul shot or sink a putt. If that funk continues over an extended period of time, we call it a slump. Slumps are frustrating and can take a heavy toll on our present and future outlook. Slump victims will try anything in the attempt to get back on track. Baseball players often change bats; basketball players change the mechanics of their free throws; and golfers search for a new putting stance. Some athletes, in total desperation, resort to superstition. Most are willing to do anything to snap out of a slump. Slumps can cause us to doubt our abilities and often create fear and frustration. The daily grind of battling a slump can drain us and isolate us from others.

If we are truthful, we have to admit that there are times we get into a spiritual slump. We’re trying to do all the right things, but God seems to have gone on vacation. More times than not, spiritual slumps are the result of lost focus. The lost focus is ours, not God’s. God hasn’t abandoned us nor has He lost His hearing. Instead, we’ve been too busy playing God and trying to do it all in our own strength. Usually after stepping back from our self-pity, we come to our senses and realize we haven’t been trusting God. So what do we do to get back in the game? With an adjustment of attitude, and a praise offering of gratitude, we can usually get back on track.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a slump breaker and not a slump maker. Help me to trust You completely, even when I don’t understand my circumstances. Teach me to cling to Your promises which You always keep. Amen.