1996-11-21 - Getting Unstuck
Getting Unstuck When we accept Christ as Savior, God gives us new hearts. We become new creations:
2 Cor 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Sometimes we get "stuck" in life, because of the lingering effects of something that has happened to us in the past, because of something we have done wrong, a grudge we are holding, or something else. Going down a side-road for a second, we need to remember that grudges are NEVER Scriptural. Christ was pretty clear on that:
Mat 6:14-15 (NIV) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
But I digress. : ) Sometimes we stop growing spiritually. But there is no need for that. God doesn't intend for us to let ANYthing stop us from growing spiritually. His resources are limitless. We can overcome anything from the past or the present, no exceptions. We can do ANYthing He wants us to:
Phil 4:13 (NIV) I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.
No matter what, it can be overcome -- whether it is a tragic mistake we have made, abuse, or anything. Even though we may still suffer some temporal effects, God can help us overcome our problems, and He can even use them, to minister to others! A good example is Joni Eareckson Tada. She was paralyzed in a diving accident, and God has used her disability for His glory, and to minister to countless other disabled individuals, around the world! What is holding you back from fulfilling your potential? God can use you in spite of or because of your illness / divorce / crime / bad grades / bad judgment / dysfunctional childhood. If something is causing you to think "God can't use me," "I don't have anything to offer," "No one would want help from me," etc. think again! After all, remember, God used persecutors of the church (the Apostle Paul) and men who gave in to cowardice (Peter), and He wants to use us, too! He can help us overcome our weaknesses, and He will use us, if we pray for His help, read His Word daily, and find support and a place of service in our local churches and elsewhere! After all, He gave us all gifts that He intends us to use to build up His church! And when we become Christians we are new, with all the resources that we need, available to us through God.
Dear Father, forgive us for letting things hinder our service. Help us overcome doubts and weaknesses, and allow You to use our gifts that You have given us. In Jesus' name, amen.