Getting Un-Stuck!

Do you ever feel stuck? Like in a rut? I seem to trip and fall into a rut fairly often ... a rut at work, a rut planning meals, a rut in my daily tasks, a rut in my marriage ... just a rut! The dictionary explains it like this: "a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change." Even my thinking gets stuck in a rut. Thinking the same old things. Thinking the same old way. In fact, I'll admit I don't just fall into this rut I pitch a tent and camp there! Anybody else? Just me?

Before we beat ourselves up too badly know that we are in good company. Even the apostle Paul got into a rut. Before God gave him the name Paul - he was Saul of Tarsus, and it was all about him! How many times do we fall into that narcissistic rut of thinking it's all about us? It's true - we all fall into that rut at some point or another (and some of us more frequently than others). We get stuck in the rut! Even if we are all that and a bag of chips ... we are only that through the grace of God. Paul had an extraordinary resume! He was educated to the nines. I wonder how many degrees would follow his name in today's society? Of the 27 books in the New Testament, he is credited with writing 13! But even he had to get un-stuck.

While he was in prison he wrote of being stuck. Look at Phil 3:7. All those things he used to count as valuable, all those impressive educational degrees he had, all his impressive highly thought of societal experiences ... he is now counting as worthless for Christ. He had to change his point of view ... his way of thinking.

Maybe, just maybe if we would follow suit get off our high horse and begin to realize where we are today is ONLY by the grace of God. Where we've been saved from ... how many times God has been there to intervene ... how many times He has sent someone to lift us up when we were at the bottom of the barrel ... how many times has He protected us from what could have ... what should have happened? Maybe if we begin to give Him credit (instead of thinking it's all about us) - we would realize it's our stinking thinking that is keeping us stuck in the rut! Maybe if we see ourselves - not just look at ourselves - but actually, see who we are we will realize without Him we are nothing. All those "things" (that a whole other entry) that we think are so important aren't important at all. What is important is WHO we believe and what we do with what we believe.

That thought immediately takes me back to one of my all-time favorite Bible studies by Beth Moore - Believing God. It's not enough to just believe in Him - we have to believe Him. We have to believe: God is who He says He is. God can do what He says He can do. We are who God says we are. We can do all things through Christ. God's word is alive and active in us. Then our point of view will change and we will get un-stuck!