Do you feel as though you can’t get a break, let alone a breakthrough? I’ve heard from many people recently who feel stuck and don’t know what to do. And while there are no formulas for getting God to move in the way and time that we wish Him to, there are things we can do to better hear His voice, so we’re ready to move when He says move. When the wait is long, certain attitudes and perspectives can form in our hearts, and before we know it, we’ve forgotten who God is and who we are.
Deal With Your Fears
One of the most significant obstacles to our forward-moving progress is fear. I’ve written a lot about fear because I’ve dealt with fear (and have come a long way, praise God). This is why we must—with all of the fierce faith we possess—deal relentlessly with our fears. Maybe you figure that since God allowed the things He did, indeed, there’s no limit to what He’ll allow in your future. Add to that mindset an enemy who swoops in to plant thoughts in your mind. He wants you to project your worst-case scenario fears into a future that God is not in. Before you realize it, you’ve taken the bait, you rehearse all the terrible what-if scenarios, and before you know it, you imagine your loved ones in prison or in the grave. The devil is wicked that way. We must put the enemy in his place (he belongs under our feet). For the Believer, there is no future moment that God is not a part of. He has redeemed us, He is redeeming us, and He will redeem our lives from every scheme fashioned against us.
The late Jennifer Kennedy Dean wrote this about fear:
“Living without fear is not believing that nothing fearful will happen, but rather believing that nothing will happen apart from God’s intervening grace. Nothing will happen without the hand of God in control, filtering out what will destroy, softening the full force of the blow, and bringing a result that could not be accomplished any other way. His standard for weighing your situation in the balance before it reaches you is: the glory it will produce outweighs the pain it will cause.*”
Worship God
God inhabits—dwells in—the praises of His people. If there’s one thing, the enemy can’t stand, it is a worshiping saint. Why? Because our souls are made to worship the King. Our hearts start to beat in rhythm with His. Our ears become finetuned to His voice. And He gets the glory He deserves. Read this powerful passage from scripture:
Come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
For the Lord is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.
Remember His Love
I’ve also written a lot about God’s Love because I’ve been so radically healed and transformed by His Love. In Paul’s letter to Ephesus, he tells the Ephesians that knowing God’s Love is to be filled to the fullness that comes from God and that God’s Love is so great that none of us will ever fully comprehend it. Yet, we’re called to know this love that defies reason or understanding. It’s never been about how high we can jump. It’s always been about the fact that love came down to rescue us. Thank you, Jesus! There are plenty of verses that speak of God’s Love. And do ponder those every day if you’re able. But let’s pause for a moment and consider how God—in His great love for you—has involved Himself in your life. Let’s pray:
Dear Father, with all my heart, I thank You for how You’ve guided and provided, for what You’ve purposed and what You’ve prevented, for what You’ve granted and what You’ve withheld. All of these reveal Your goodness to me. You have so strategically and wisely led me and loved me that it leaves me breathless. How can I ever thank You enough? Help me to live a life worthy of your name. In Your mighty name, I pray, Amen.*
-prayer from Fully Alive
Sometimes we feel stuck because we don’t know God’s will for us in our particular season of life. And while obedience looks different in the different seasons (sometimes He calls you to rest, other times He calls you to run), it’s always wise to follow Paul’s instruction in his letter to Thessalonica:
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
Flip the Script
In his book, “Do It for a Day”, Mark Batterson writes about the importance of the story we tell ourselves. He writes:
“It’s no secret that our thoughts have psychological and physiological effects. Your thoughts have the power to lower your blood pressure, slow your pulse, and boost your immunity. Of course, they have the power to do the opposite too. Either way, your explanations are more important than your experiences. If you don’t like your life, you may be telling yourself the wrong story. You have to flip the script. If you want to change your life, you have to change your story!”
You can get unstuck! Deal ruthlessly with your fears. Worship God. Trust His love. And flip the script. Ask God to show you what’s true. Ask Him to show you the way forward. He’s writing a great story with your life.