"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)
Do you, or anyone you know, seem like they are stuck in a rut in life? Never progressing, not growing, never able to resolve issues in marriage or personal relationships?
When you're stuck in a rut, you have two choices:
1. Keep spinning your wheels and remain stuck.
Or,
2. Do whatever it takes to get out and move forward.
In your walk with Christ for instance, too many times, people get stuck in a rut when situations, or seasons in their life change, and they can't, or won't, adapt to the changes. And so they sit idle, complaining of, "how good things used to be".
Perhaps the most painful, and helpful life lessons I've had to learn, is that God puts certain people in your life for a season. Some of these seasons are quite long, and others, not so much. Good friends move away. People move on. Situations change.
We get used to wonderful routines in these seasons of life where we come to depend on people, on close friends, to fellowship with, talk to, have coffee, go fishing, or just hang out. Good times. The best of times.
When we are going through difficult trials, our closest friends are right there, going through it with us. We can always call them up and ask, "Can we get together and talk? I'm in deep water and I really need you to pray for me."
But when our close friends, with whom we've grown so accustomed to having close by when we need them, move several hundred miles away, that source of "on call" fellowship is gone. Sure, you can call them on the phone. But it's just not the same as the face-to-face fellowship you once had with them. That particular season you had together where they were close by is over.
And the most painful lesson in all of this, is you can't go back and try to re-create these seasons. They were unique, and wonderful for the times you had them. But God had these people in your life, in your geographic space, only for a season. But eventually, everyone moves away, it seems.
When we shut down and stay stuck in our ruts, when the seasons in our life change, it often indicates that we are too co-dependent on people. On our closest friends. On how things used to be in the good old days.
Instead of being co-dependent on imperfect people, we must learn to become totally dependent on a perfect God.
We have to learn to walk our own walk with Christ.
No one else can walk it for us.
Jesus said; "Without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
I'm convinced that God brings special people into our lives for a season as mentors and godly examples of what it looks like to walk out our own Christian walk, and then He removes them, so that we will then become the wise friends and mentors who help a younger or newer disciple of Christ to learn to walk for themselves.
When you're stuck in a rut, you have two choices:
1. Keep spinning your wheels and remain stuck.
Or,
2. Do whatever it takes to get out and move forward.
In your walk with Christ for instance, too many times, people get stuck in a rut when situations, or seasons in their life change, and they can't, or won't, adapt to the changes. And so they sit idle, complaining of, "how good things used to be".
Perhaps the most painful, and helpful life lessons I've had to learn, is that God puts certain people in your life for a season. Some of these seasons are quite long, and others, not so much. Good friends move away. People move on. Situations change.
We get used to wonderful routines in these seasons of life where we come to depend on people, on close friends, to fellowship with, talk to, have coffee, go fishing, or just hang out. Good times. The best of times.
When we are going through difficult trials, our closest friends are right there, going through it with us. We can always call them up and ask, "Can we get together and talk? I'm in deep water and I really need you to pray for me."
But when our close friends, with whom we've grown so accustomed to having close by when we need them, move several hundred miles away, that source of "on call" fellowship is gone. Sure, you can call them on the phone. But it's just not the same as the face-to-face fellowship you once had with them. That particular season you had together where they were close by is over.
And the most painful lesson in all of this, is you can't go back and try to re-create these seasons. They were unique, and wonderful for the times you had them. But God had these people in your life, in your geographic space, only for a season. But eventually, everyone moves away, it seems.
When we shut down and stay stuck in our ruts, when the seasons in our life change, it often indicates that we are too co-dependent on people. On our closest friends. On how things used to be in the good old days.
Instead of being co-dependent on imperfect people, we must learn to become totally dependent on a perfect God.
We have to learn to walk our own walk with Christ.
No one else can walk it for us.
Jesus said; "Without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
I'm convinced that God brings special people into our lives for a season as mentors and godly examples of what it looks like to walk out our own Christian walk, and then He removes them, so that we will then become the wise friends and mentors who help a younger or newer disciple of Christ to learn to walk for themselves.
You can't remain in the same place.
It's a new season now.
Enjoy it for all God has for you in it. And invite others who need to learn to walk to come along.
It's time for you to become the mentor and leader that God has called you to be.
—God is Love and Love Never Fails
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