Day 5: Getting Unstuck

“But forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness; I will create rivers in the dry wasteland” - Isaiah 43:18-19

What does it mean to be stuck? To be fixed, seemingly trapped, unable to move, stagnant and needing change. Living in this state perpetually is not God's plan for our lives. One of the major things we received at salvation was freedom in Christ. This freedom is not a license to do all the things our flesh wants to do but rather freedom from the bondage of the enemy and the sin we were born into.

Most of the time, when people feel stuck, there is an awareness that they should be ahead, but they cannot seem to get past their current state. There are several reasons for this; it could be a lack of motivation or drive, lack of knowledge, lack of resources, having a very myopic view of life and so on. Whatever the reason or root cause is, it is not God's will for us to be burdened with this.

Persistent issues that hinder us from moving forward are usually beyond the surface and are rooted in things we may be dealing with spiritually, whether we are aware or not. This is a very real reality for many Christians, and it is paramount that spiritual issues are not ignored or disregarded. The spiritual world is very real and impacts what plays out in the natural.

Here are some practical ways to get unstuck:

1. See the bigger picture! See things, situations, and people from God’s perspective. Refer to 2 Corinthians 4:18, Colossians 3:2.

2. Restore and reaffirm your identity in Christ. Intentionally use the word of God to remind your soul and everything around you of who and what God says you are. Refer to Romans 10:17 and John 1:12.

3. Practice giving as a lifestyle. Giving is not limited to money; give your time, talent, resources, help and so on. Refer to Proverbs 11:25 and Luke 6:3.

4. Pray for others. Break out of self-centered Christianity and cultivate the habit of praying for others. The more you do it, the more the Lord will show you who and what to pray for. Refer to Ephesians 6:18.

5. Locate yourself in scripture. Ask the Lord to show you someone in scripture who has a similar prototype to your life as heaven sees it. It may be one person or a hybrid. Refer to Luke 9:24.

6. Stretch your faith and pray big prayers! Refer to Romans 10:17 and Luke 18:27-8.

7. Evaluate and confront wrong mindsets by meditating and speaking the Word of God over yourself. Refer to Romans 12:2.

8.Address spiritual issues. Refer to Micah 2:13.

Spiritual issues here refers to challenges, often long-standing and trans-generational, which you know are beyond a physical cause and effect. One of the worst things we can do about such issues is to ignore them. If we do, they will continue to be present and sometimes even go unnoticed for generations and generations. Sometimes, we are dealing with these issues as a result of other previous generations not handling them as required, but God desires for us to be cycle breakers in our families and establish Christ in them.

Due to the scope of this devotional, we can only touch on this briefly, but if you are facing such issues, I implore you to take it seriously; double down with God and start to ask Him for the required strategy. It should be noted that we are already victorious in Christ, and it is important that we take on the posture of enforcing this victory even though we have an active enemy that is always trying to drag us back. Do not be discouraged or lose hope because the Lord is with you, and you are fighting from a place of victory.

Listed below are some things to do as you embark on this journey:

●Observe patterns and cycles in your life

●Pay attention to your dreams

●Pay attention to what is being communicated by those around you

●Ask God to reveal the source of any continuous setbacks and delay

●Discern things spiritually

●Ask God to give you the strategy to address these issues

●Be expectant to hear from God; be watchful for signs

●Consider a fast

●Meditate on the Word of God regularly

●Pray often

●Journal to document your observations