The Risk and Reward of Getting Out of Your Rut

The church I serve in just finished a month long series called "Un-Stuck", go to www.southbrookchurch.com to listen to all 4 sermons. Before the series kicked off I had this storyboard in my mind of what this looks like for most people, (see the picture below). There are two ways of getting out.  The first way to get out is to steer left or right, hang onto the wheel as hard as you can and not the wheels pull you back in. You have to sustain the direction by holding tight, and before you know it, you are unstuck. The other is to have something/someone bigger and stronger pull you out. 

 But most people fail. Why?

1. It's comfortable and easier.

2. No courage is required, no adventure to be gained either.

3. Everyone is headed in the same direction anyway.

4. Don't like asking for help, or admit we need help.

I find myself getting stuck every so often, sometimes I may not even know I am unless I get perspective/counsel. This year I am sensing God calling me to a year of risk. It's scary to me but exciting at the same time. I love what I am doing, where I live and my life in general. However, Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to overflow." John 10:10. I want my life to really matter, to not be boring or safe or even comfortable. I admit my flesh wants comfort, but my Spirit knows better. The beginning of John 10:10 says "The thief comes to rob, kill and destroy." I totally believe that and realize that we can be lulled to sleep and lose out on the full life God wants for us. But it takes courage!

 The path most American Evangelical Christians live is too safe and too much like the world. Nice paying job, spouse, kids, comfy house, nice church, friends that are congenial and so on. This is NOT THE LIFE OF JESUS, nor those who live all out for God. I want to desperately steer out of the rut that keeps me living all out for God. Risk is scary to me and I have no idea what this looks for this year, but what looks even scarier is looking back and knowing that I stayed in the Lane that led to an easy life where Jesus might have a hard time saying, "well done good and faithful servant."

The Go To's

Everybody has them. The "them" I am referring to are those "go to items" when you are in needing to get back to a good place. Here's what I mean....

- Verse of the Bible you go to when you are in need of Strength, wisdom, counsel, hope.

- Friend you go to in crisis.

- Move you go to in basketball that no one could stop.

- Place you go to be alone with God.

- Song mix you go to for contemplation, joy or exercise, etc..

- Vacation spot you go to for rest or creating memories.

 You get the idea. 

I have this stack of 3x5 index cards with various scriptures that I have copied down that really meant something at a specific time, or that bring me strength, guidance, comfort or a promise I can trust God for. God's word stands the test of time, and these have helped me out so much that I cannot count them.

Familiar verses like;

 "Trust in The Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4-6

"The Lord roams about the earth seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are fully His."  I Chronicles 16:9

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

"Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength." Philippians 4:13

"Apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

"Above everything guard your heart for out of it flows everything." Proverbs 4:23

What are some of your go to Bible verses?

One at a Time and the Great Commission

I remember hearing the story of a little boy who was at the ocean with his family and at the time a huge number of Starfish had been washed ashore covering the beach they were at.  The boy was picking up the Starfish one at time and throwing them back into the sea, his Father watched him for some time and came up to him and said, "Son, you can't rescue all of these Starfish, there are just too many."  The son looked at his Dad and said, "You're right Dad, I may not be able to save them all, but I can save this one".  He bent over and picked up the one closest to him and threw it into the water, "and I can save this one".  And over and over he repeated himself.

  Many, many people say yes to salvation through Jesus Christ, but most don't stay with it.  Jesus even talked about this in the Parable of the Seeds found in Matthew 13, only 1 out of 4 seeds actually produces what it was created for!  In the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 we read that every Christ Follower is to do;

1. Go.
2. Make Disciples everywhere.
3. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
4. Teach them to obey everything I commanded you.

  I want to focus on #4 - "Teach them to obey everything I commanded you."  I believe with all my heart that every Christ follower should have a mentor/discipler who does what Jesus commanded us.  These were His last words, and last words are usually quite important.  If we discipled everyone who asked Christ to forgive them I think the failure/fall out rate would be drastically lower, Christ followers would be so much more effective and more people would come to Christ as Savior.  Most Christ followers do not even know everything Jesus commanded.  Do you?  Take the time to do a Harmony of the Gospels Study, I recommend Thomas/Gundry's by Moody Press.  Spiritual Reproduction (discipleship) has to occur for Christianity to continue, and learning to apply Jesus' commands and taking the time to teach others what they are and how to apply them is fulfilling the Great Commission.

  My advice to you is first find someone who is young in the faith, go through Jesus' commands in the New Testament together.  Study them and figure out how to obey/apply them and then when you are both done, both of you go find someone else to do this with on your own.  

The True Key to Change

  Resolutions are a good idea gone bad, most of the time. Why? Because they are most often born out of disappointment for things we didn't do, haven't become or wanted for ourselves. So we over react and have these strong desires to turn it around. But...the plan fails most of the time. Why? Accountabilty and adequate support or a lack of it to be precise.

  I know this from experience, from the positive and negative side of things. I will make this short. If it just came down to how badly we wanted to - lose weight, exercise, read the Bible, drop a bad habit we would all succeed. But what you really need is not more want to, instead you need others, you need to form a support/accountability team. 

  Lone Rangers are lonely! Spiritually speaking get into a Life Group, or have an accountability partner. With exercise, don't just join a gym, meet someone (of the same gender) consistently at a specific time that you pre-arrange  and you will succeed. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." If you want to succeed in 2014 where you failed in 2013 don't keep doing the same things the same way and expect different results. Ask someone for encouragement, accountability and or partnership.  Most really good people want to see others succeed.