Unstuck

Unstuck

Colossians 1: ¹⁹ For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. ²⁰ Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.

 

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After years of dedication and hard work, I was told “the position is being eliminated.” Handing me an award for the best team added insult to injury. I could not concentrate during the final days. So much of my identity was tied up in work.

 

• I was stuck on “my” accomplishments.
• I was stuck on trying to make sense out of something that made no sense.
• I was stuck trying to see if I made mistakes, so I spent hours replaying words, actions and thoughts.

 

GOD the FATHER gives the ultimate example of moving forward, according to Paul’s letter. HE showed unmatched restraint by allowing the creation to senselessly murder and blame the creator. HE decided to reconcile versus destroy everyone and everything.

 

My Observations

• GOD provides me with a way to become unstuck when I get stuck in the past.
• GOD’s example of forgiveness is something I can obtain when I ask for it.
• GOD can help me to let go, especially when I relapse into pitying my circumstance.

 

“Forgive and forget” seems impossible when I am stuck. I mean, when I replay past hurts over and over and over again, I get stuck in a loop where there is no room for forgiveness. BUT GOD wants me out of the loop.

 

HE picks me up out of the hole of unforgiveness and moves me forward. HE gives me words of peace and reconciliation through the SON and enables me to serve those who threw poison darts at me. I am glad I can let go of seeing “punishment” and turn to GOD’s example of hoping everyone knows JESUS in a saving way.

 

Challenge

• What human intervention does the writer mention, if any?
• Have you ever been stuck in hurt or cannot see a way out of your situation?
• Will you follow GOD’s example and decide to move forward regardless of past or current circumstances?

You Can Only Move Forward

Ezekiel 46: ⁹ “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.

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After the accident I said “I wish I had anticipated the patch of ice.”  After getting stitches I said “I wish I hadn’t tried to smash that brick on the ground.” After failing the test I said “I wish I had studied more.”

• There have been times I have regretted.
• There have been things I have done I wish I could have taken back.
• There have been paths I have gone down I wish I never went.

Regret has the same beginning as rewind or replay. The tape keeps playing over and over in my mind and I just sit there and brood over the mistake. Is there a way to fix my past? Yes!

• GOD says to me “I AM the alpha and omega, beginning and the end.”
• GOD says to me “I WILL wipe away all of your tears.”
• GOD says to me “I WILL take your sins and remove them as far as the east is from the west.”

Forgetting is something that is virtually impossible to do. BUT GOD gave me a remedy. HE says “Let ME take care of the past and I will guide you in the present to provide for you a wonderful future.” HE wants me to stop looking back and start looking forward to what HE is doing and is going to do. GOD has a plan for me and has taken into account all the mistakes I will ever make.  HE wants me to move forward!

• Are you stuck in the past?
• Are you constantly making the same mistakes over and over?
• Can you stop looking back and move forward with GOD?
• Will you start trusting GOD’s plan HE has for you rather than being crushed by “that” mistake? 

Look at Past Successes

Ecclesiastes 1: ⁹ What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.

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Green and “still wet behind the ears” is what they used to say about me. With no experience I would open my mouth to suggest something new that our group could do. One woman in particular would open her mouth at every suggestion I made and say “Been there, done that!.” I wanted to be included in the discussion but I ran into a brick wall.

• There were times where I did not understand the past.
• There were times where I took history for granted.
• There were times where I detested looking back and I only looked forward.

“History repeats itself. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” is what I gather from this passage. Without understanding the past, my ideas looked the same as past failures. What should I do?

• GOD wants me to read HIS word to understand how to avoid calamity.
• GOD wants me to ask HIM for direction so I can bring forth new ideas.
• GOD wants me to study the fall of mankind so I can understand why I need salvation.

In order to be “successful” I must look at what made people fail. GOD says, pride, foolishness and perversions have caused the downfall of so many so HE laid out what it meant to become successful. HE said “Walk in fear of ME and all you do will be successful.” HE says “Do not be afraid.” HE also says “I will be with you.” All of these great statements are enough to make anyone successful.

• Do you think you have a new idea?
• Can you look back at the past and see how GOD delivered people rather than how “you” wish to be delivered?
• Will you seek GOD’s face by studying why people have failed and fallen away from HIM?