Stuck: How God Moves When We Feel StuckSample

Paul was a follower of Jesus who went through hardship after hardship: being thrown in prison, being shipwrecked, getting whipped and beaten, and more. But through it all, he remained faithful to Jesus.

At the very end of the book of Acts, Paul was under house arrest for two years, awaiting an appearance before the emperor Nero. Paul was stuck in his house for two years! He didn’t even have Netflix or Disney+ to keep him company…

But even in the midst of Paul being stuck inside his house, God used him in a powerful way. Paul spent those two years writing letters to churches to encourage them to stay faithful to Jesus too. One of those letters was to a church in a city called Philippi, where Paul penned these words, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Paul wrote those words while being stuck under house arrest for two years. For him, it wasn’t about gritting his teeth to get through it – it was about finding strength through Jesus.

When it feels like we have nothing to offer, that’s the best place for God to use us. We don’t have to rely on our own strength – because the truth is, our strength isn’t going to get us very far. No matter where we are, the best thing we can do is to fully rely upon and surrender every part of our lives to Jesus.

Jesus used Paul in a powerful way because Paul relied on Him. Paul’s circumstances didn’t need to be ideal for God to use Him – in fact, they were the exact opposite of ideal. But Paul had learned the secret: He could do everything that was asked of Him because He had Jesus.

The same is true for us. God will use you. He has a plan for you. He loves you and is willing and ready to help you. It might not mean your circumstances change quickly, or even change at all. But when we surrender our lives to Jesus, even in the midst of pain, we will learn that we can do everything through Jesus who strengthens us.

Paul encouraged many churches to stay faithful to Jesus, and 2,000 years later, he’s still encouraging us. Because he relied on Jesus, he’s influenced millions of people across the world.

God has plans for you – even in your current situation, even when you feel like you’re stuck. How can you surrender your life to Jesus today and trust in Him?