our blog
Mar
Stuck In A Rut
I’m stuck in a Writer’s Block rut. I sit at my computer hoping to become inspired, but find I have been staring at the blank screen longer than I’d like to admit. I have tried everything: getting up to get a drink, taking a short walk, chatting with friends, visualization techniques, listening to music… I have even invented a ridiculous number of uses for paperclips. But still, I have nothing. It’s time to admit it: I am STUCK.
The same thing sometimes happens spiritually, too. How do we recognize when we’re stuck, and how do we become unstuck? Answering this question is critical in keeping alive the transformation process of My One Word rather than giving in to the rising difficulty and resistance.
According to 2 Peter 1:3-10, when we’re stuck we’re blind to three things: our identity in Christ, God’s provision for our growth and the transformation process. Verse 3 shows us that we possess everything we need for godliness. Christ himself provides a godly life (Galatians 2:20). The Holy Spirit, living within us, guides us in truth. We simply need to remind ourselves of the promises (v.4) that come through the grace of Christ.
Eventually, those initial changes brought by choosing our One Word fade. Struggles arise and many of us grow frustrated. Resistance sometimes leaves us shell-shocked and, in more devastating cases, we lose hope. We lose heart. By taking out our heart, the enemy immobilizes us.
How do we handle this lack of hope and gain traction and, ultimately, momentum with our One Word? The first—and most critical—step is to cling to the truth that in Christ we are whole, made alive and set free. This truth changes everything, including our perspective on feeling stuck. We won’t depend on ourselves to produce change anymore (Galatians 3:2-3). When we understand that true change only occurs within, we’ll resist the urge to fix the external and allow the Holy Spirit to change our hearts. This is never easy.
If we’re honest, we want character without being stretched, growth without risk, and lessons without scars. In a way, we become satisfied with being stuck because we love comfort and security. Something in our heart avoids having to admit that the biggest problem we face isn’t our circumstances, but the person staring back at us in the mirror.
That’s why Peter says in verse 5 that we must make every effort to add to our faith. We need to believe the real challenge of Christian growth is personal ownership. We need vision to create a path out of our rut. We have to identify our desires and figure out why we’re stuck in the first place. We combat getting stuck by protecting our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and transforming our minds (Romans 12:2). Our thoughts shape our words and actions.
We need to become so aware of our flaws that they can’t hide anymore. Once we identify them, we need to give them to God. When doing so, we begin breaking patterns that put us in positions to make poor decisions. Instead of pursuing something to fulfill a shortsighted desire, we pursue things that produce the internal change we really need. Prayer shifts our focus from what’s directly in front of us onto the actions we need to take for growth to occur.
No matter the struggle, no matter the situation, no matter how stuck we’ve been, if we know Christ, then there’s hope. The hope for us who are stuck is that what God has begun in us He will complete (Philippians 1:6).
- What situations are you feeling “stuck” and meeting resistance in living out the qualities of your One Word? What do you believe is keeping you “stuck”?
- How have you dealt with times of discouragement or has it gotten the better of you?
- Often times in the midst of being “stuck” we know what the next right steps of faith are, but are unwilling to act. What do you believe is the next step you need to take in living out your One Word? What actions or changes do you need to put into place to make this change a reality? How would you measure growth in this area?
Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010. If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!
Mar
Measuring Sticks
When my wife and I purchased our “dream” house, we brought with us something special from our old home: the trim from the doorframe of our kitchen. At first glance, it might appear strange to lug a random piece of wood into your new place and have it specially installed. Yet, the marks on the trim spoke of friendships.
Over the years we scribbled in pencil the height of our children. After celebrating with cake and presents, we would line the birthday girl up against the doorframe and mark their height with a pencil. Thanks to this simple tick mark we were able to see our little ones growth. Our girls loved the tradition so much they wanted to be marked at random times throughout the year. There are actually a few jagged lines where our youngest daughter measured her baby dolls.
Eventually, we began etching the heights of other family and friends in the kitchen doorframe whenever they would come to visit. It quickly became a game of seeing who the tallest person was that ever entered the Ashcraft house. Overall, there are about forty names on that trim which now is placed inside our new home. The etched lines represent growth and history.
In almost every arena of life there are ways and means which allow us to track the progress of our growth: family height chart, school report cards, business trends, etc. They enable you to see where you’ve been. Yet, markers or measurements are vague at best when it comes to our own spiritual growth. Christians set themselves up to be disappointed because they make no room for what a walk of faith actually looks like. Most of us fail to take the time to establish means of measurement and follow up with how we are doing.
Your One Word serves as a way to see contrasts in your character. We all want to move from Point A to Point Z in no time flat. What we fail to realize is there are numerous steps along the way which demand our attention. Setting short-term goals creates opportunities to celebrate the small successes which lay the groundwork for deeper change. A step, no matter how small, is movement and movement is growth. The truth is what gets measured gets done. When you write down these short-term goals and journal your progress, you begin to witness how far you’ve come from where you started.
The idea is that you keep your life heading into the promise of the future. The place where there is real hope for change instead of being motivated by regret and the fear of making the same mistakes. All of this merely places us in a posture for Christ to form our character. Your One Word provides a lens through which to see your progress.
- How is God moving in your life through your One Word? How will you define progress in the formation of your character going into the future?
- Over the course of the upcoming week, pay attention to how you react in situations where living out your One Word is tested. In those areas where you fall short and fail to live out your One Word, begin to identify different ways you can respond to these circumstances. What would growth look like in these areas where you are tested?
- When it comes to the areas that you have successfully reflected your One Word when you were tested, take time to celebrate your progress. How was your life different as a result of your One Word? What emotions or feelings did you experience?
Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010. If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!
Feb
Even “The Flash” Took Baby Steps
My wife and I have learned a valuable lesson: don’t blink or “The Flash” will be long gone. “The Flash” is the nickname we’ve given our three-year-old daughter Paige. To say she is quick on her feet would be an understatement. If you turn your back for a second, Paige is bound to be three-quarters of the way up the stairs, jumping from couch to couch, waving to you on top of the table or dangling from the chandelier (okay, that last one is a bit of stretch, but she is very determined).
It’s funny to think how something which comes so naturally now was so foreign to her just a short time ago. Yet, she wouldn’t be the speed racer she is now unless she took those first wobbly steps. Back then she needed her mommy’s fingers for a sense of security or the edge of the table for balance. There were times when Paige’s eyes would get so big and you could tell she was thinking “Just one step…just one.” As she’d stare down at her knocking knees, she had to have faith to move regardless of the outcome. One foot in front of the other.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned that our walk with God assumes movement through disciplines and requires the same type of faith my daughter had when she started to walk. Whether it is finding new ways to deal with old frustrations, responding to life’s difficulties or being transformed into Christ’s character, it all comes down to arranging our lives for growth to occur. What you’ve probably realized after two weeks of putting disciplines into place is how change is always met with resistance.
It is very easy to come up with excuse after excuse as to why growth can’t happen or explain why we refuse to take steps of faith. Anytime we face a difficult task, we feel a pull to go back to the way things were and remain the same. It might be selfishness, not wanting to appear foolish, fear of failure, or doubt; but whatever the excuse may be it comes down to perception. Inadequacy is not a concern of God’s, but this mindset of inadequacy plagues us from taking steps of faith.
We have been invited to walk–not accomplish. The things we accomplish are simply expressions or by-products of following the footsteps of Christ as we walk with Him. Stop focusing on all the places where living out your One Word still feels awkward and unnatural. This only leads you to focus your attention on the negative rather than celebrating those small baby steps of growth. Continue to take those next right steps of faith. It turns out those baby steps may be the most giant ones of all–paving the way for God to fulfill the purposes He’s established for you. As the life of Christ makes a difference in our hearts and souls, we live this out and God uses us to bring His change to the world around us.
• After spending two weeks setting up disciplines to live out your One Word, where have you witnessed the most growth? Where have you met the most resistance?
• As it relates to your One Word, what do you believe is the next step you need to take? What actions or changes do you need to put into place to make this change a reality?
• Read Philippians 1:6 and Romans 5:1-5. How do these passages give you hope in regards to the resistance you might be feeling with disciplines being formed into your character?
Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010. If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!