I’ve had seasons where it felt like everything I was building started slipping at once. My faith felt flat, conversations at home were tense, workouts turned into excuses, and the numbers in my bank account made my chest tighten. Maybe you know that feeling too. You hit a snag, fall out of rhythm, and before long the weight of it all starts to whisper that you’ve failed.
The truth is, setbacks come for all of us. They test what we really believe about God, about grace, and about who we are becoming. They remind us that our lives aren’t meant to be held together by control but by dependence.
When faith feels quiet, I’ve learned that the goal isn’t to perform harder. It’s to come back to presence. To sit still long enough to remember that Jesus hasn’t gone anywhere. Most of the time, I discover that He was trying to slow me down before I ever burned out. If you’ve fallen out of prayer, out of Scripture, or out of peace, don’t rush back into effort. Just start by being honest with Him.
In family, setbacks often look like distance. You start reacting instead of relating. The people you love most see your stress before they see your strength. When that happens, grace has to walk back into the room before anything else does. I’ve had to apologize more times than I can count, not because I got everything wrong, but because I let pressure replace patience. Family is where faith goes to work, not to perform. The way back is usually a simple conversation and a willingness to listen again.
Then there’s the body. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pushed through exhaustion thinking I was being spiritual when I was really being stubborn. God designed us with limits for a reason. Rest isn’t weakness, it’s worship. Movement isn’t punishment, it’s gratitude. You don’t have to fix everything overnight. Go for a walk. Stretch. Sleep. Breathe. Take care of the body God gave you so you can keep showing up for the mission He’s called you to.
And then there’s the financial side. It’s easy to feel like failure when you’re stretched thin. I’ve learned that money always exposes trust. When I start gripping tighter, it usually means I’ve stopped believing that God provides. Stewardship isn’t about shame, it’s about freedom. Sometimes that freedom starts with one honest look at where things are, a simple budget, or a prayer that says, “God, help me live with open hands again.”
Here’s what I’ve realized across all of it. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s alignment. Faith, family, fitness, and finances aren’t four separate boxes. They’re connected. When one slips, it all feels off. But when you return to God’s rhythm, even small steps start to bring peace back into your life.
And when you feel too tired to even start again, hold on to this:
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28–31, ESV
If you’ve fallen out of rhythm, you’re not alone. You were made for more than survival. You were made to live fully in Christ through what matters most.
That’s why I wrote Made For This. It’s a guide for real people who love Jesus but need help finding their footing again. If you’re ready to reset your faith, restore your relationships, rebuild your strength, or regain peace with your finances, you can grab a copy on Amazon or through the resources page at chadspriggs.com.
Take a deep breath. You can start again today. You were made for this.
C4 