Have you ever felt stuck in life? There are 5 things God wants to do when we’re stuck. There are two kinds of seasons of being stuck:
- A God-Ordained Season of Being Stuck
- An Appointed Season of Growth
Sometimes when we feel stuck in life, it is actually God trying to get our attention. It’s important to know exactly what season we are in. In this 2-part series, I will be discussing the God-Ordained Season of being stuck.
God’s plan is NEVER to leave us in those places of feeling stuck. But by acknowledging them, we will be able to move forward in what His plan is for our lives. There are things He wants to do when we are feeling this way. He wants to:
- TEACH US ABOUT REST.
- Help us TEND TO OUR HEARTS.
- TRAIN US IN OUR WAITING SEASON.
- UNTANGLE THE LIES WE BELIEVE so we can be free.
- POSITION and PREPARE us for what’s next.
In Episode 11, we talk about how He wants to:
- TEACH US ABOUT REST
- Help Us TEND TO OUR HEARTS
Today, we are going to be talking about the remaining three things He wants to do when we feel stuck.
He wants to:
3. TRAIN US in our Waiting Season
Waiting on the Lord is not passive. It is actively anticipating what He will do in and through us to get us unstuck. The more we move to get ourselves unstuck in our own strength, the deeper and more entrenched we get. It’s like quicksand. The more we move, the deeper we go and the more stuck we become.
Red Light, Green Light
Do you remember playing Red Light, Green Light as a kid? There was a leader, and whenever they said “red light,” we had to freeze in place. When they said “green light,” we could keep moving toward the goal. I remember being extremely frustrated with the red lights. We had to freeze in place no matter how close we were to the goal. I’m not saying God is playing games with us. I’m just saying I know how frustrating it is to wait. Waiting until the leader says “green light” again can seem like forever.
What Does “Waiting on God” Look Like
To wait on God is to intertwine our hearts with His. Think of the vines that wrap themselves around a trellis. They get stronger over time so much so that once they are intertwined, they need to be removed at the root.
Waiting on God is not easy, especially if you are an action-oriented, forward thinker like me. It’s especially hard when the answer doesn’t seem to come when we think it should.
Waiting on God Does Two Things
A. Keeps Us Humble
When we patiently wait on Him, we are acknowledging that we can’t do anything of significance or of lasting value in our own strength. Without Him, we can do nothing. We feel powerless when we’re stuck.
We are useless if we are proud. Humility is not weak. It is a strength that God can use. Without it, we are self-focused and demanding. Humility makes the heart pliable to God. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Imagine playing football. You look up and see God on the opposing team. Not good!
B. Teaches Us Perseverance
Perseverance means “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” How many of us get frustrated and take things into our own hands when God doesn’t move as quickly as we want. We all know the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. Abraham and Sarah got tired of waiting. I’m sure they felt STUCK. Nothing was happening in the natural in regard to the promise God gave them of having a child. They got tired of waiting and took things into their own hands. We all know how that turned out.
Perseverance keeps us going even when what we are praying about and working toward doesn’t happen right away.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
A submitted and surrendered heart stays in the trial because they know it produces Christlikeness in them. God knows how much heat and time is needed to accomplish His purposes. He disciplines those He loves.
4. UNTANGLE THE LIES We Believe
The lies we believe cause us to feel stuck. Here are some of the lies:
- Excuses we’ve made for our shortcomings and sin.
- Reasons why we can’t do something.
- Feeling like God doesn’t care.
- Playing the victim because of someone else’s actions.
- Placing blame and not taking responsibility for our choices and our lives.
Getting Used to Being Stuck
Have you heard of the story of the Elephant and the Rope? To ensure that an elephant is submissive to the circus trainers, they tether a baby elephant to a stake with a very thick rope.
The young elephant tries again and again to get free, but it lacks the strength to do so. After many attempts, it resigns itself to staying bound and only able to move within a certain radius.
When it’s grown, the lumbering giant struggles to get free, but it remembers how unsuccessful he was in the past. At this point, the circus trainer can tether the elephant with just a tiny little rope, easily able to be broken. Yet, the elephant doesn’t try to break free. IT IS USED TO BEING STUCK.
That’s how lies and strongholds are in our lives. Because of what Christ has done, we have complete freedom, but because we are used to being captive to the lies in our hearts and in our minds, we stay stuck.
We need God to give us a revelation of where we are stuck and how we are able to obtain the freedom He’s given us.
God also wants to:
5. POSITION and PREPARE us for what’s next.
Sometimes life seems random and without meaning, but everything God says and does is filled with purpose. He is getting ready to launch you into something new. It is usually something that requires a refinement process.
I think of Joseph. When he was thrown in prison for being falsely accused, he was positioned to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. That elevated him to a place of influence. Each trial Joseph endured, prepared him for what was next. He was finally able to be instrumental in helping save his people and his family from the famine.
When you surrender and submit yourself to God, He uses everything to get you where He wants you to be.
God Cares About Your Season of Being Stuck
God cares about us, and He cares about how we feel. Are you in a God-ordained season of being stuck? He doesn’t want to just leave you there. There are redemptive purposes in everything He does and everything He allows.
Let’s Connect
Tell me in the comment if this 2-part series encouraged you and if you can see now what God is doing during this season.
Let’s discover Kairos Moments together to build a life that is deeply rooted in Him and is continually growing in Christ.
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