Are You Wasting Your Days? Break Free from Helplessness

Spiritual learned helplessness convinces believers their actions don’t matter, draining joy, purpose, and impact in daily life.

Let me ask you a blunt question: Do you really believe what you do today matters? Take this quick self-check to see if you’re living today like it really matters: https://bttb.org/receptiveness-survey.

For many Christ Followers, the honest answer is no. And that’s the devastating reality of what researchers—and many of you—have described as “spiritual learned helplessness”. It’s that gnawing belief that your daily actions don’t make a difference, that you’re powerless to change anything, so why even bother?

The tragedy is this: spiritual learned helplessness robs us not just of our own joy, but of our God-given purpose to share the joy of Jesus Christ with others. It convinces us to coast, to waste days, to give up the fight before it even begins. And if we don’t recognize it, it leaves us grumpy, worried, spiritually stagnant, ineffective, and far from the life Jesus calls us to live.

What Learned Helplessness Looks Like in Daily Life

You know the pattern. You wake up, scroll the news, and immediately feel like the world is too broken for you to change. You walk past a hurting person, but silence yourself with, “I wouldn’t know what to say anyway.” You sit in the back of the room at a gathering because it feels safer than stepping into someone else’s pain. And when you see that one person that you know needs Jesus, you simply walk away and avoid all social interaction because their lifestyle irritates you to no end.

Bottom line: Every time we tell ourselves, “What I do doesn’t matter”—and then act on that belief—we are training ourselves into helplessness. Day after day, this becomes a habit. Eventually, it’s not just that we don’t take action; it’s that we no longer believe we can.

And when enough of us live this way, the entire body of Christ weakens. Our families, our churches, and our communities lose out on the very light and hope we’re meant to bring.

The Research Doesn’t Lie

For over 15 years, I’ve been studying the struggles you tell us about. Time and again, the same patterns show up: criticism of others, worry, and long stretches of spiritual stagnation. Many believers admit that for at least three months out of every year, they feel completely stuck, not growing spiritually, not making a difference.

This is more than laziness—it’s learned helplessness. It’s the enemy’s lie that your actions don’t matter, so you stop trying. And the longer you believe it, the more powerless you feel.

Why Today Is the Battleground

The truth is, you don’t live your whole Christian life in decades or even years. You live it in days. In fact, you live it in moments. Each day is a gift from God, packed with opportunities that will never come again. Once today is gone, you cannot redo it.

That’s why Scripture calls us to be awake, alert, and intentional. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:16 to make “the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” The antidote to helplessness is not some grand strategy, it’s the choice to treat today as holy and worth fighting for.

Stories of Breaking Free

I’m encouraged every time I hear from one of you who has decided to fight back against helplessness by embracing daily spiritual fitness.

• Gretchen told us: “My spiritual walk is better now that I have engaged with y’all’s spiritual workout. I do it in the morning before I go to work. It’s very helpful and encouraging.”

• Maggiemay wrote: “With each passing day my eyes are opened… For once I feel capable of receiving God’s Word and applying it to my life.”

• Rosie, who came to Christ at 14, shared: “Your teaching was my spiritual ‘food’ for a number of years and helped me grow as a Christian.”

These stories remind us that helplessness can be broken. Purpose and power come alive when we embrace daily spiritual workouts.

Take this quick assessment to reflect on how much learned helplessness may be shaping your daily life: https://bttb.org/receptiveness-survey 

Today Is Yours to Take Back

Learned helplessness is real, and it’s stealing the effectiveness of countless Christ-followers. But you don’t have to give in. Each day is both your battleground and your opportunity.

So here’s the challenge: Will you let helplessness win, or will you take one small step today to grow closer to Jesus and impact the people around you?

Remember, your score is just a snapshot. What matters most is what you do next. That’s where Spiritually Fit Daily, launching this October, can help. It’s designed to give you the daily tools and encouragement to turn intention into transformation.

The choice is yours. Don’t waste it. Start now, and take today back.

Stay tuned and stay ready,

–Arnie

P.S. Your score was only the beginning. It’s what you do next that matters. Spiritually Fit Daily launches this October, and it’s built to help you break free from helplessness and live each day with purpose. Don’t wait—get into God’s Word and take today back.