Wisdom When You're Stuck
A few years back I was sitting in my living room and all of a sudden I hear the terrible screaming shriek coming from my daughter who had been playing on my balcony. All you parents, it was one of those screams that you just knew she was in real trouble. So I jump off the couch, fling the door open to find my daughter had gotten her head stuck in the railing of my 2nd-floor balcony. She was panicked and couldn’t get her little head out. So I did what any good dad would do… I told her mom to come in and bring her phone so we could get a picture.
After I got a good laugh and my wife got the photo, we found out she was a little more stuck than we imagined. We spent a few minutes trying to get her out, contemplating calling the fire department, but with some patience and dad skill, I was able to safely get her head out. And the best part? She only lost one ear in the process.
I’m kidding about the ear, but I tell you that story because I think, like my daughter, many of us find ourselves in seasons and situations where we feel stuck or stagnant. We’re just not moving forward like we want to be. For you it may be your marriage has stalled out, your profession isn’t progressing like you want it to or it’s in your relationship with God. Wherever you feel stuck. Wherever you feel like you’re not moving forward, I want to help you!
I’m gonna give you four principles that will help you when you’re feeling stuck and stagnant. While I can’t get you unstuck today, in this moment, if you stick to the plan, I can promise you that these four things will change you and in His timing, God will lift you from where you are and you’ll begin to move forward!
#1 See yourself as a SERVANT
Serving matters because it’s the key to promotion and greatness in God’s sight (See Matthew 20:26-28).
If SERVING is below you, PROMOTION is beyond you.
My first full-time ministry opportunity was as a missionary in Africa. One day we were at dinner with the missionary I was working for and one of her local friends. This missionary asks me to grab something out of her car for her. As I got up to go get it she says to the person with her, “See he’s my little errand boy.” In a split second, I debated all kinds of snarky responses and a few ideas that may have ended me up in jail. But I didn’t do any of those. I simply got what she needed, brought it back, sat down, and shut up. I was there to serve her and help her in the ministry. That’s what I signed up for.
You wanna know if you have a servant’s heart? How do you respond when someone treats you like one? If you’re treated like a servant and you get angry, frustrated, etc maybe you need to grow in this area more than you expected.
#2 Be FAITHFUL even when you don’t FEEL like it
Faithfulness is not tested until you’re frustrated with where you are. It’s easy to be faithful when things are going great. The true test of faithfulness is when you’re upset, angry and frustrated. Can you remain faithful even when things aren’t going your way?
Luke 16:10, 12 ESV One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
Faithfulness NOW leads to opportunity LATER.
The test to get you unstuck… can you be faithful and trust God to open the door when it’s time to move on? Or are you going to take your future into your own hands and force something to happen that He didn’t originate? Don’t have an “Ishmael”, stay the course and wait for Isaac (See Genesis 16).
#3 Choose to FORGIVE and keep an OPEN heart
There’s been so much written on the topic of forgiveness and I don’t have the time to expound on this topic to the level it deserves. If you’re looking for a great resource, I recommend, “Total Forgiveness” by RT Kendall.
But I do want to point out a few things that will help you. If you’re feeling stuck, there’s usually a person involved in why you’re feeling this way. Maybe it’s a boss that just won’t promote you. Or a peer that stabbed you in the back. Whoever it is… YOU MUST FORGIVE THEM. The quickest way to turn a stuck season into a stuck life is to hold onto the pain and refuse to forgive. Once you forgive you have to then keep an open heart towards God and others. You can’t move forward alone. You need people. I know it’s scary and difficult to open your heart back up after you’ve been hurt, but by God’s grace, you can do it. You can forgive. You can have quality relationships. You can move forward.
Here’s my practical advice on forgiveness. Pray for the person who hurt you the same way you wish someone would pray for you. It’s hard to do that. It takes time. But make that your goal and choose to totally forgive!
#4 BELIEVE for the PROMISE and TRUST God's plan.
God’s not in a hurry to change your circumstances and make your dream a reality. He’s way more concerned about who you’re becoming than what you’re doing. So while God is developing you in your season of waiting… can you keep believing and keep trusting? Here’s the reality about your future, striving ends the moment you believe that God’s plan is HIS plan.
Striving ends the moment you believe that God’s plan is HIS plan.
The dream God gave you, is God’s dream for you. You don’t have to MAKE IT happen. You don’t have to force God to do that which He desires to do.
Let me help all you young leaders… pray that God never gives you more influence than your character can handle. There’s little that’s worse than getting the influence, the promotion, the position you always wanted only to lose it because of poor character. Your future gets derailed and a lot of people get hurt in the process.
I hope these 4 tips were helpful. While I can’t guarantee they will get you “unstuck” tomorrow… if you stick to the plan, work these principles, God will change you and in time He’ll change your situation you just have to stay in the process long enough!