Our powerful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, declared in John 10:10(NKJV), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.” The thief that he is referring to in this verse is the devil. Jesus Christ also informs us in John 8:44 that the devil is the father of lies who lusts after evil and does dastardly evil things. Stealing, killing, and destroying anything and everything is the enemy’s trademark, and he is merciless with all his corruption and deception. So that there would be no confusion, our Lord and Master very clearly makes the distinction between the love, light, and life that he gives us and the evil and darkness of satan. This distinction is a serious issue, and we can’t afford to make a mistake. We must gain the wisdom to discern whether we’re dealing with a trick of the enemy or a blessing from the Lord.
God’s Word tells us that satan was once called Lucifer, the archangel of light. You and I don’t fully know the extent of authority and power he had as the archangel of light, but we can imagine that it was extraordinary because light is extraordinary. Our Master Jesus is the light! He said in John 8:12(NLT), “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The light to which Jesus refers in John 8:12 encompasses love, power, intelligence, and every other good thing that exists. Because of his prior rank and occupation, satan knows more than any of us do about all that light entails, and he is a masterful manipulator and deceiver. Disguising and counterfeiting are right up his alley, and if we lack wisdom, we can mistake the deepest darkness for a rainbow.
Examine your heart
Becoming stuck in life is a condition that is caused when the enemy has found a way to block us, and therefore keep us from going higher. This is not something that occurs externally and then makes its way internally. It’s an attitude, a way of speaking, thinking, and feeling that is contrary to the way of Christ. It’s in our hearts, and because it is, it trickles out to impact many other aspects and details of our existences. The reality that we live from inside out cannot be denied. We are deceived when we think that the reason our momentum has come to a halt is simply because we can’t figure out our next move. The truth is that we’ve come to a place in our spiritual journeys when the light of Christ within must shine brighter and light a new path to God’s blessings.
For as long as we sojourn on earth as human beings, we will have the responsibility and privilege to continually grow closer to God through Jesus Christ. Our goal should be to become more like Christ and put on his love and light in a greater way. Our Heavenly Father designed life to cooperate with our efforts to have a clean heart and a pure soul. We should also know that life has a way of stopping us in our tracks when our dedication to grow in the Spirit doesn’t match the blessings God has for us just around the corner.
Be diligent in prayer
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:21(NLT), “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Most of us would walk a thousand miles barefoot if we knew that our treasure would be at the end of that road. This willingness and aspiration are targeted at what we desire most, and if what we desire most isn’t God, we’re headed in the wrong direction. God doesn’t punish us for this, He works with us, and our prayers to Him are just the invitation He’s waiting on.
We grossly underestimate the power that is released when we align our prayers with the Will and purpose of God for our lives. When we’re stuck, the reach of our vision is stunted, but when we begin to see what God sees, the possibilities in Christ open up for us. Our souls have room to breathe, and we regain momentum.
We can’t remain in a weakened state where we are vulnerable to the enemy’s tricks and plots. To get unstuck and witness greater blessings in our lives, we must grow spiritually in Christ and in our faith in him. Making decisions based on our own desires will not yield the results we need. A habit pattern of spending more time with the Father in prayer and surrendering to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this is our path out of confusion and chaos; this is what leads us into to the light.
Remember, getting out of sync with God’s agenda makes us feel as though we’re wading through quicksand, but Jesus Christ is our firm foundation, and following him will always lead us to safety. He tells us in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life! So, we can be confident that we don’t ever have to be stuck or feel as though there are no options for us to move forward in life. This is never a reality for the believer that renews their mind and feeds their heart God’s Word. When we get on board with loving our Heavenly Father the way that Christ does, we can enjoy the peace of knowing that no trick of the enemy will be able to keep us from all that God has in store.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Get Unstuck!”, written by KLizzie, edited by Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2024. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.