Why is it so hard to take our own advice?

Joy here and this hit me last night when I was sharing advice with my younger brother. He is 17 and desperately wants to get his drivers license! He said, “Joy, if I can’t get my license I’ll just die!” He has failed the test twice already! In his mind he will never pass the test and his life is over! I tried to share perspective with him and tell him that although this feels like the end of the world, it isn’t. I shared that when you are in the midst of something hard, it can be difficult to see past it. However, when you have moved on from the difficult season you will eventually see that it wasn’t as earth-shattering as you once believed. 

After I hung up the phone, I felt a pang of guilt. I am in a difficult season filled with change and hardship. I have thought so many times in the last few months that these issues are completely earth-shattering! I can’t imagine moving on past them because I only see the problems of today swirling around me. I am not even putting my own advice into practice! Yes, my problems are more adult and harder to deal with than struggling to get a license, but the perspective on them should be the same! When God brings us through something, we always gain a better perspective and see that He was with us every step. It’s time to apply my own advice and stop being overwhelmed the problems of today.