It’s A Garbage Problem Not A Rat Problem
There are seasons when life just feels heavy, and it’s hard to explain why. You’re doing what you know to do—showing up, trying to make better choices, working on the areas that need attention—but even with all that effort, something still feels off.
It can get frustrating when you feel like you’re putting in the work and not seeing real change. You fix one thing, and something else pops up. You deal with one issue, and it feels like another one is right behind it.
Sometimes the problem isn’t what’s right in front of you.
Think about it this way—if you see rats, your first instinct is to get rid of them. You set traps, clean things up, do whatever you can to make them go away. But if there’s still garbage nearby, the rats aren’t going anywhere for long. They may disappear for a little while, but they’ll be back.
That’s because the rats aren’t the real issue. The garbage is.
A lot of what we struggle with works the same way. The anger, the anxiety, the habits we wish we could break, the tension in our relationships—those are the things we notice first because they’re visible. They’re what interrupt our day and demand our attention. But many times, those things are being fed by something deeper that we haven’t really dealt with yet.
We spend so much time trying to manage what’s on the surface that we don’t always stop long enough to ask what’s underneath it.
That’s why things can feel like a cycle.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23
What’s going on in your heart has a way of working its way into every part of your life—your reactions, your thoughts, your decisions, even the patterns you keep finding yourself in.
The good news is that God isn’t put off by any of it. He isn’t waiting for you to figure it out or clean it up before you come to Him.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…” — Ephesians 2:10
Even in a season that feels messy or unclear, your purpose hasn’t changed.
“But you are a chosen people… God’s special possession…” — 1 Peter 2:9
You haven’t been overlooked or set aside.
And no matter how far you feel from where you want to be, this is still true:
“For God so loved the world…” — John 3:16
His love doesn’t shift based on how well you’re doing or how stuck you feel.
When life feels heavy, and you start to realize there may be more going on beneath the surface, you don’t have to ignore that or push it aside. You can bring it to God honestly.
Psalm 51 is a reminder that He doesn’t turn away a heart that’s willing to be real with Him. He restores what’s been broken and begins healing from the inside out.
When You’re Ready for Something Different
It may not be about trying harder or fixing one more outward behavior. It may be about letting God gently show you what’s underneath and trusting Him to meet you there.
That’s where real freedom begins—not just managing what shows up on the surface, but allowing God to do a deeper work that actually lasts.
