BecomingGolden

In her teaching Exit the Pit, shared on the Joyce Meyer Ministries YouTube channel, Bible teacher and author Joyce Meyer speaks about the emotional and spiritual “pits” people sometimes experience. These may be pits of discouragement, fear, depression, anger, anxiety or self-pity. Her message is clear: although we may fall into a pit, we do not have to remain there.

Life can sometimes leave us feeling trapped in a low and unpleasant place. Disappointment, rejection, failure and difficult circumstances can make hope feel distant and progress seem impossible. However, a difficult season does not have to become our permanent home.

Meyer uses the biblical story of Joseph to demonstrate this. Joseph’s brothers betrayed him and threw him into a pit, yet the pit was not the end of his story. He later rose to a position of influence in the palace. His journey reminds us that our present circumstances do not necessarily determine our future.

When we face difficulties, our natural response is often to pray and ask God to change the situation. Prayer is important, but Meyer explains that God may respond by showing us what we need to do. We may pray for better health while neglecting rest and exercise, or ask for peace while continuing to hold onto anger and bitterness.

Faith does not remove personal responsibility. It gives us the courage to follow the direction God provides. As Meyer warns, we cannot keep asking God to deliver us from a problem that we continue to feed through our habits, thoughts and decisions. Sometimes the first step out of the pit is recognising what we need to change.

Many emotional pits also begin in the mind. A single negative thought can grow into fear, resentment, criticism or self-doubt. When such thoughts are entertained for too long, they eventually affect our emotions, behaviour and relationships.

Meyer describes the mind as a battlefield. She explains that when negative thoughts enter our minds, we do not have to accept them. We can challenge them, reject them and replace them with thoughts that are truthful, loving and consistent with God’s Word.

She shares an example from one of her morning walks, when she found herself thinking negatively about someone. Once she recognised that her thoughts had “fallen into the pit,” she deliberately changed the direction of her thinking. When the thoughts returned, she corrected herself again until the pattern eventually stopped.

This shows that changing our thinking may require repeated effort. We may reject a negative thought only for it to return a few minutes later. The answer is not to give up but to redirect our minds again.

Meyer also emphasises the difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction shows us what needs to change and guides us towards repentance and growth. Condemnation, however, leaves us feeling hopeless, ashamed and unable to move forward.

For this reason, she encourages people to “skip the guilt trip.” When we make a mistake, we should acknowledge it, ask for forgiveness, make a better decision and continue moving forward. Prolonged guilt does not correct the past. It often weakens us and makes it easier to fall into the same pattern again.

Leaving the pit may not happen after one attempt. We may make progress and later find ourselves returning to the same fear, anger or discouragement. Meyer’s encouragement is simple: do it again. Rise again, correct your thoughts again and choose hope again.

Persistence is one of our greatest weapons. The person who refuses to give up cannot remain permanently defeated. Falling does not make us failures. What matters is our willingness to rise and continue.

The Apostle Paul spoke of letting go of what was behind him and pressing towards what was ahead. In the same way, we do not have to remain trapped by past mistakes or present struggles. We can speak honestly to God, accept His correction and begin making decisions that move us in a healthier direction.

The pit may be part of our story, but it does not have to be where the story ends. With faith, personal responsibility and persistence, we can rise from discouragement, renew our minds and move forward.

When you realise that you have fallen into a low place, do not surrender to guilt or shame. Reach for God’s help and begin climbing. Should you fall again, rise again.

For more, watch the full teaching through the link below: