Have you ever made a choice you wish you could undo? Maybe it started small—a moment of weakness, a bad decision, or a refusal to listen when you knew better. But then, like a snowball rolling down a hill, it grew into something much bigger—disaster, regret, or heartbreak.
If you’ve ever been there, you know what rock bottom feels like. It’s that place where you have nothing left to lean on. The plans you thought would fix everything didn’t work. The quick solutions left you emptier than before. You’re hungry, tired, and broken—wondering if there’s any way out.
But here’s the truth: there is nothing God won’t do to reach His children. Rock bottom isn’t the end of your story. In fact, it may just be the place where your new beginning starts.
Refusing the Invitation
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. It’s not just a story about a rebellious young man—it’s about all of us at different points in our lives.
The younger son was given an invitation to live in his father’s purpose, but he refused it. He thought he could do life his own way. With pockets full of money and a heart full of pride, he walked away. For a while, it seemed to work. But soon, the good times ran out.
Scripture says:
“About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.”
(Luke 15:14, NLT)
What do we do when we refuse God’s invitation? Eventually, life becomes harder than we ever imagined. That’s exactly what happened to the prodigal son. He took a job feeding pigs—one of the lowest jobs possible in his culture. Yet even in his new job, he was still starving inside.
“The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.”
(Luke 15:16, NLT)
Sometimes we think a new job, relationship, or achievement will fix everything. But true hunger isn’t physical—it’s spiritual. No career, paycheck, or success can fill the emptiness that comes from being far from God.
Rock Bottom: The Place Where God Reaches Us
Rock bottom looks different for everyone. For some, it’s financial ruin. For others, it’s heartbreak, addiction, or the loss of identity. Whatever the form, it’s the moment when we realize everything we built without God is crumbling.
And yet, rock bottom is also where God reaches us most easily.
Why? Because when you’re flat on your back, the only direction left to look is up.
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!”
(Luke 15:17, NLT)
At rock bottom, our eyes are opened to what we refused to see before. We finally recognize that our strength, wisdom, and quick fixes aren’t enough. Realization is important—but here’s the catch:
Realization alone doesn’t move you out of the pit.
You can admit you’re broken, but unless you return to the Father, you’ll stay stuck where you are.
The Return
The prodigal son didn’t just realize his mistake—he made a choice.
“I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”
(Luke 15:18-19, NLT)
Notice the steps he took:
Desperation → “I can’t stay here.”
He looked around and admitted, “This can’t be my life. I can’t stay in this pit any longer.” Maybe you’ve said those same words. That’s the first step.
Humility → “I can’t fix this.”
He recognized he couldn’t solve it on his own. True humility says, “I need God. I need His mercy. I need His strength.”
Resolve → “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He didn’t just think about change—he acted. He stood up, turned around, and started walking toward home.
It’s not rock bottom that keeps us stuck—it’s refusing to take the necessary steps to climb out.
Working With God Through the Climb
When you choose to return to God, the climb begins. And here’s the truth—it’s not always easy. Sometimes it gets harder before it gets better. Why? Because God is shaping you. He’s testing whether you’re all in, preparing you for a bigger purpose.
Think of it like climbing out of a pit with a rope. God throws the rope down, but you still have to grab it and climb. It’s your choice to cry out for help, to reach for Him, and to keep moving upward one step at a time.
And as you climb, He transforms you. The pain becomes purpose. The setbacks become stepping stones. What once looked like the end becomes the foundation for your new beginning.
My Personal Rock Bottom
For me, God revealed my purpose through my own struggles. At rock bottom, I felt broken, uncertain, and lost. But He showed me that my calling is to spread His good news through Charlet’s Stationery—to create tools that help others draw closer to Him.
He’s also given me a passion to teach others how to care for their bodies through a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. These purposes didn’t appear overnight. They unfolded as I committed myself daily to Him, laying down my humanity so He could build something greater through me.
That’s the thing about purpose—it takes time. You will doubt. You will question. But through it all, God is asking: “Are you all in?”
Rock Bottom: Pit or Platform?
Here’s the final truth: Rock bottom can either be the pit you stay in or the platform God launches you from.
The choice is yours. Will you stay stuck in regret and brokenness, or will you take the step to return to Him?
If you’re stuck, open your Bible and start reading. Talk to Him. Treat Him like your best friend—run everything by Him, from the smallest details to your biggest dreams. He’s not distant. He’s right there, just an earshot away, waiting for you to call.
He is the only one who can open the doors to success, healing, and restoration. Once you allow Him to work in your life and commit to Him daily, your purpose will begin to unfold.
Final Encouragement
If you feel like you’re at the bottom today, take heart:
Rock bottom doesn’t define you.
Your mistakes don’t disqualify you.
God’s love hasn’t given up on you.
He is waiting with open arms. He’s ready to turn your pit into a platform, your mess into a message, your setback into a setup for greater things.
So don’t stay stuck. Take the step. Go home to your Father.
Because the truth is this: there is nothing God won’t do to reach His children—even at rock bottom.
God and I want you to thrive in life. Just remember to start taking the little steps that God is leading you to. In addition, if a door you wanted to open stayed shut, that is God sparing you or protecting you. He has something greater for you in store. So do not get disheartened. Hold your head up high because you are a daughter of the all mighty king (God), which makes you a princess. When life ruffles your feathers like it always does, fix your crown, call on your father, and start walking with grace and presistance.
Your Girl,
Charlet
