Break Free

Do you know what the definition of insanity is?

When something is not working—doing the same old thing, the same old way, expecting new, different and better results.

Now that's insane!

So why do we do that so often?   We keep kicking the same old 'dead horse' hoping it will budge, and then we sit around bummed out when it just lays there dead.

Speaking to myself first here, we have to step back and really take a hard look at what we are doing that is not producing the results we desire or desperately need, and honestly ask ourselves, "What do I need to do differently—starting today?"

Whether we are having difficulties in our relationships, trouble finding a job, or we need to lose a few pounds, remaining stuck in the same old rut of the status quo ain't gonna change things one whit.

Today, I am going to make a list of all the things I need to change and do differently, and then I am going to do it.

No one is going to do it for me, and I'll be darned if I am going to continue to sit around and be bummed out about it!

Am I speaking to anyone here today?

Look, I have compassion.  I know this life is hard.  But this is the life we have been given, and we have to make the most of what we have, and be thankful for it. 

For instance, in my personal 'battle of the bulge' I moaned and groaned for two years, "Lord...won't You just heal me of this and make me fit and trim again like I used to be?"

And He was silent for a long time.  And then one day I heard His still, small voice speak very clearly to my heart:

"Mark, you know what you need to do—but you're just not doing it."

Ouch.  Talk about being convicted.   All I could say was, "Yes, Lord. I know You're right."

God could just wave His hand and make every difficulty and ailment in my life vanish instantly.  But that's not the way it works.  He has set before me a life of choices, and I have to choose to do something with what He has placed before me. That's just how it is.  And remaining stuck in the ruts I get myself into is not part of His plan.

A few years ago a wise brother said the following:

"All we can do is according to the grace God has given each of us; no more and no less. If we try to do more than God has graced us to do, we are just striving.  But--make sure you max what you got."

I'm not promoting a life of always being under pressure to perform.  God is not making us jump through hoops like a bunch of circus animals.  But we all have been given talents, giftings, resources and opportunities and we have to do something with what He has set before us.   And it's not going to happen by just sitting around thinking about it all the time.

Far too often, I/we sit around and try to excuse our laziness and say, "This is all I have ever done" or, "It doesn't do any good!"  Making excuses accomplishes nothing.  We've all made mistakes, and we reap the consequences of our actions.  Sometimes we are limited due to our own consequences.  But we're not out of the game. 

The worst thing we can do is to be mad when things don't happen the way that we want them too when our difficulties are often us reaping what we have sown.  That's life. 

But we still have to move forward.

As painful as self confrontation is, it is critical to our progress in this life to make an honest assessment of our lives and identify what is not working, and why it is not working, and then make whatever changes are necessary to break through and break free of the insanity of indecision and inactivity.

We have to be willing to do today what we were not willing to do yesterday—to bring about the positive changes that we need in our lives. Fortunately, God does not call us to do anything without providing us the strength and the wisdom that we need to accomplish it. But we have to ask Him for it too.

And when He speaks a word to us, we must be doers of His word and not just hearers.  To be a hearer of His word and not a doer is to deceive ourselves.

Well, my self confrontation list is still a blank sheet of paper and it's not going to get done by itself. So I'll leave you to your own list.

Please, don't keep doing what is not working in your life.

Step back, re-group, re-evaluate yourself, and then ask God to give you the wisdom, courage and strength to change whatever needs changing.

Be willing to do today what you were not willing to do before.  Do differently whatever God shows you that you need to do. And don't put it off until tomorrow.  That will get you nowhere.

Break through and finally break free.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.