Stuck in a Rut — Morning Devotions

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Transcript

Have you ever felt you’re stuck in a rut? It’s a strange saying, and it originates back to the 1800s when a wheel literally became stuck in a groove on the road.

You can imagine roads were not properly sealed back then, took quite an effort to move the wheel out of the dirt or the mud. We still use that expression today when we feel trapped in a career that’s going nowhere or maybe a relationship that’s not working out, stuck in a rut.

Virgin Media in the UK did a survey that revealed very interesting facts. 61% of the folk in Britain feel that they’re stuck in a rut. 59% reveal they need a change. And the top three things they want to change in their lives were these: fitness, their social life, and their house. Interesting revelations from ordinary people living in the UK, and I’d be surprised if their comments were not the same for us here in Australia.

Have you ever felt that each day is the same?

You get out of bed to wonder what day is it? Feels like you’re living in a haze. You could be tired or even exhausted due to differing circumstances, or you feel chained to the current circumstances. Your personal motivation is severely depleted. Now I’ve been through days like that. It’s possible that you have too.

And maybe it’s to do with your own self-care. Are you looking after yourself? Are you getting enough sleep? All of us experience times when we feel stuck in life, and it’s important we recognise the struggle. But we are reminded that understanding our situation is the very first step toward healing and moving forward.

The founder and pastor of the Life Church in the US, Craig Groeschel, tells the story about the roads in Alaska when the winter snow melts, creating seriously muddy ruts in summer. And there’s a road sign that says, choose your rut carefully, you’ll be in it for the next 60 miles.

Like those muddy roads, our minds get stuck in lifelong ruts of thinking. The scientists confirm that we can control only a tiny part of our conscious thoughts. Our anxious thoughts, our prideful thoughts all roll around in our heads, and we could be afraid of change. What will happen if I change my career or move to another town? While something different may be the desired outcome, we stay where we are because change is scary.

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Our uncomfortable place is more comfortable than change because at least we know about it. If you have the desire to get out of your stuckness, here’s what you need to know.

Trusting God is the only way forward.

Now I know this seems like an oversimplified answer to a life that could be messy or complicated, but to follow Jesus, we have to trust Him even when we don’t know where he’s leading us.

The Bible’s got many passages that shine a light on the importance of admitting our struggles. We’re not alone in our feelings. God is always there to guide us out of our ruts. Some helpful advice is Philippians chapter 4 in the New Testament. Don’t worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He’s done, and then you will experience God’s peace, and this exceeds anything that you can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

So God’s plan for our lives is one of growth. It’s to move forward, one of development, transformation, and the way God designs our lives, you’re not meant to be stuck in a rut. When I was 19 and getting ready to enter training as a minister, my boss gave me a book by Keith Miller called The Taste of New Wine. I don’t know whether it’s still in print, but Keith Miller reminds us that having faith doesn’t always mean having a good feeling.

He says they’re two different things, and if we always had the feeling, we wouldn’t need the faith. Instead, we should pray that God would teach us how to live on what Keith Miller called raw faith. When we trust God to be with us, even when we have no conscious sense of His presence, we are offering ourselves back to Him as an act of worship.

Let’s Pray

Dear God, I admit to sometimes being stuck in a rut, as I know my friends can sometimes feel that way. It’s not a nice feeling, and yet Lord, we can be transformed and moved out of our present situation if we have to – by your love and your power and an understanding of the kind of God you are. Help that be a reality, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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