Unstuck series week 1

“Make the Decision” manuscript

Open:

Have you ever felt stuck?

All of us have had times when we have felt stuck.

To feel stuck is to realize that you want to be in a different place, but you are unable to move forward.

There is a recognizable gap between where you are and where you want to be.

This realization comes as we witness the effects of decisions we have made, behaviors we have engaged, relationships we have maintained, or a variety of other causes.

Each time, the end result brings us back to the desire for the ability to move forward, but the desire becomes short-circuited through failed attempts.

We can also experience feeling stuck spiritually. Feeling stuck spiritually can result in:

The inability to feel God’s presence

Lack of direction

Dullness when reading Scripture and/or praying

A sense of lost passion for Jesus

Questions about faith that go unanswered.

When we experience these seasons, it can become easy to drift in our faith and commitment to Jesus.

It isn’t an issue of salvation, but an issue of being caught in a spiritual plateau.

Often, these seasons have been referred to as a “dark night” of the soul. The darkness of the night can become so thick that we lose our sense of direction and hope.

As followers of Christ, we can pray for and receive supernatural deliverance from these dark nights.

God is able to bring His power and authority to bear on our situations and transform them in a moment.

But more often, breaking out of a spiritual plateau involves making a decision.

I have discovered that regaining forward momentum happens one decision at a time.

I believe we are one decision away from breaking our spiritual plateau.

The difference one decision can make:

One decision can provide a new sense of direction.

One decision can produce forward momentum.

One decision can break the cycle of hopelessness and despair.

One decision can reignite our passion for Christ.

What keeps us from making the decision?

The number one obstacle to making the decision is fear.

Fear comes in a variety of forms:

Fear of rejection

Fear of failure

Fear of success

Fear of fear itself

A second obstacle is mental strongholds that keep us stuck in our current plateau.

Mental strongholds begin with a thought.

Mental strongholds develop into attitudes and perspectives.

Mental strongholds become reinforced through repetition.

Mental strongholds also become reinforced through supporting information and relational connections.

A third obstacle is our beliefs.

Beliefs go deeper than thoughts.

Beliefs are based on personal values.

What we value, we will fight for.

Our fight to maintain a belief will prevent us from making the decision to move forward.