Stuck In ReverseSample

Shifting From “Drive” Into Another Gear

Many people travel through life barely giving God a second thought. Their lives are focused on achieving the things they believe will give them a sense of self-importance, status, and recognition. They’ve shifted their lives into overdrive, never considering the Lord or the good plans He has for them. As they speed through life, they never stop to consider His eternal love and concern until something terrible happens. Then, alone with their fears, they wonder how they’ll ever be able to live life fully. 

Then there are those who, instead of looking through the windshield of hope and possibility, have purposefully placed their lives in reverse and are moving backward. They’ve believed lies—words spoken that are simply not true, statements that have lowered their self-esteem or changed the focus of their hearts so that they now feel as though they’ll never move past this point in time. They notice their peers and friends moving forward, but they fail to believe in God’s ability to change the direction of their own lives. Therefore, they become stuck in feelings of defeat and disillusionment. If any of these describes your life, then I want to assure you, you’re not alone.

If you feel as though you’ve shifted from drive into another gear, you can turn your life around, go in a different direction, and begin to live again. While there may be consequences to some decisions you’ve made in the past, you can start where you are right now and live the life you were created to live. However, you must be willing to open your heart to God and the plans He has for you. This means being willing to trust Him, allowing Him to lead you each day, and giving yourself to Him knowing He’ll take care of all that concerns you.

The prophet Isaiah writes, “The LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail” (58:11). God knows your potential, and if you’ll allow Him, He’ll show you how to live each day in the light of His success and victory over all defeat. No matter what your circumstances or what you’ve done in the past, God loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) and will make your life count for something wonderful if you’ll place your trust in Him.