Have you ever felt stuck?

Maybe you feel stuck in a lousy job or stuck in financial hardship or stuck in a rut with your marriage. We've all felt "stuck" at times, but the decisions we make in those frustrating seasons can have huge ramifications (either positive or negative) on the rest of our lives.

I'm in the process of reading an inspiring true story ("Ghost Boy") about a young man who was literally "stuck" in every way imaginable. Martin Pistorius developed a rare medical condition when he was 12-years-old. A misdiagnosis caused him to spend the next twelve years of his life confined to a wheelchair without the ability to speak or control his movements.

Everyone around him, including the doctors and his family, thought his mind was "gone," but Martin was fully alert and coherent. He was a prisoner trapped inside his own body throughout his adolescence and early adulthood. He couldn't communicate or make any decisions for himself. He was a "Ghost Boy."

His journey to freedom and independence is gripping and inspiring.

Reading Martin's story is challenging me to rethink what God wants to teach us in those seasons when we feel "stuck." It's doubtful any of us will ever endure the kind of longterm ordeal that Martin overcame, but whatever the level of our struggle, I believe these principles can apply to us all.

Whenever you feel "stuck" in your life, please remember these principles:

1. God's timing is always perfect

For me, one of the most difficult aspects of faith is to trust God's timing even when I can't see how it's all going to work out. Time and again, He proves His faithfulness when we choose to patiently trust in His timing.

2. Patience produces perseverance

You might feel like time is being wasted right now, but you're developing strength through your struggle. Good will come from this.

3. Worry is a waste of time

When we feel powerless over our situation, worry can take root, but worry is a waste of time! The Bible says, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done." (Philippians 4:6-7)

4. Do what you can do to change the situation, and trust God with the rest!

If it's within your power to improve your situation, then do it, but then you need to trust God with the outcome. Instead of wasting so much energy trying to "figure it out," you may need to just let go and trust God to figure it out for you. He cares even more about the details of your life than you do, and He's much more qualified to fix them.

This article was originally published on Patheos. It has been republished here with permission.