Getting Unstuck

Mark Dunagan
12/21/14 - Sunday Morning

Getting Unstuck

Recently I just heard someone say, “Your history does not have to be your destiny”. When I heard that expression I said, “Now there is a slogan that the Bible would endorse”. The Bible is filled with many examples of people breaking from a bad history and creating a bright future:

• Rahab the Harlot: Joshua 2
• The young man raised by a horrible father in Ezekiel 18:14.
• Matthew the Tax Collector and Simon the Zealot.
• Saul of Tarsus: 1 Timothy 1:13-15
• The woman caught in adultery in John 8
• The Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
• The Ephesians: Ephesians 2:1-3
• The Colossians: Colossians 3:7
• The Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:10
• Those in Northern Asia Minor: 1 Peter 1:18; 4:1-3

To Put It Another Way

In the New Testament you will find people overcoming huge problems, including:

• Exceptionally addictive sins: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
• Extreme anger issues: 1 Timothy 1:13-15
• A horrible upbringing: 1 Peter 1:19
• Generational sins: Titus 1:12-13
• Complete and total abandon: 1 Peter 4:3
• Long term rebellion: Ephesians 2:1-3
• Extremely bad attitudes: Colossians 1:21

One reason why God recorded all these examples for us, is that in life will be run into many people who will claim the opposite, that getting unstuck is impossible and God wants us to remember what actually is the truth of the matter.

What Gets People Stuck?

Because we are born into this world pure and innocent (1 Corinthians 14:20), and it is God who places our spirit in our body (Zechariah 12:1), and God does not create any deformed spirits. So how do people get stuck?

• Tragic Events

Ted Turner was religious until he saw his sister suffer for five years and die at the young age of 17. Recently (2008) in an interview with MSNBC he said that he no longer considers himself an atheist or agnostic. In 1851 Charles Darwin was devastated with the loss of his daughter Annie. By then his faith in Christianity had dwindled and he had stopped attending church.

The devil will try to take us out and often at an early age. The tragic event might be a bad upbringing, our heart being broken by a love interest, the closed doors to certain goals or having our faith in another human being crushed. Long ago God cautioned young men and women against allowing anger and bitterness to settle and find root in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 11:8-9). I have observed that when we are hurting, bitter, feeling sorry for ourselves, or cynical about life in general that we are easy prey for Satan and his lies. Cain’s movement away from God — a movement that he never recovers from starts with anger (Genesis 4). Thus getting unstuck can be as simple as realizing that while a tragic event may have happened, our lives have equally been filled with many undeserved blessings (Psalm 103:10). Gratitude is an attitude to refuses to remain stuck.

• Sin

Temptation promises freedom but results in bondage (2 Peter 2:19; John 8:34). It promises enlightenment and brings darkness (Ephesians 4:18). It promises self-esteem and brings shame (Romans 6:21).

In Sin and Stuck

• “We grope along the wall like blind men… we stumble at midday as in the twilight, among those who are vigorous we are like dead men… All of us growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none, and salvation is far from us… Our sins testify against us, and our transgressions are with us” (Isaiah 59:10-12).
• “Because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
• Sin will always result in us getting stuck — and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).

Honest About Who Is Keeping Us Stuck

Because being stuck can have its temporary advantages. It can become a convenient way of avoiding responsibility. Thus we need to be honest. The real person keeping us stuck may just be ourselves. No one was born a sinner, so why did we choose this particular sin? Were we trying to get people to feel sorry for us? Were we trying to avoid pain? Were we trying to avoid responsibility? Did we want to be left alone? Were we trying to grab attention? Were we mad at God? (Proverbs 19:3). 

Believing the Label Placed Upon Us

And the label placed upon us may have been placed by others or we may have put it there ourselves. The label might read:

• Hopeless, failure, dumb, or unattractive.
• “Do not expect much of me”. “Feel sorry for me — don’t ask me to do anything hard”.

Getting unstuck means what God says about us, rather than what the world or we say about ourselves. We need to put the following new labels on ourselves:

• Child of God: 1 John 3:1
• Saint/Holy and Blameless: Colossians 1:22
• Salt and Light: Matthew 5:13-16
• One of whom the world is not worthy: Hebrews 11:38

Is “Struggling” Putting Up a Fight or Repeatedly Giving In?

I hope and pray you will overcome. But consider this: “I have developed a distaste for the word ‘struggling' — as in ‘I am struggling with anger’ (or lust, or a bad temper, etc.). It is a perfectly good word, and I know there are some people who are really ‘struggling.’ But many other people are spoiling the word for everybody. They are using ‘struggling’ to mean something more like ‘repeatedly giving in’ — which is almost the opposite of ‘struggling,’ seems to me. I wonder what Jesus would say (will say) when we all come to give an account (1 Peter 4:17). When that day comes, Christ will ask each of His children if we 'fought the good fight' and 'kept the faith' and were workman with no need to be ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15). The Word says: 'In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood (Hebrews 12:4)'” (World Magazine, “Struggling”, Andree Seu, June 28, 2011). So when we say we are “struggling” let’s make sure that we are truly struggling, that is, we are putting up a valiant fight, rather than in the more comfortable cycle of sin, repent, repeat.  Be honest with the effort you are willing to put forth. Don’t put in a little effort and then complain that Christianity isn’t working for you. 

Simple Changes

Getting unstuck can be as simple as:

• No longer buying the excuses that have been keeping me from moving ahead. Getting rid of bad attitudes and habits.
• Letting go of evil companions that encourage me to stay stuck (Romans 1:32).
• Being an end to allowing my eyes and ears to listen to and see images and Satan’s propaganda that is harming me spiritually.
• Putting an end to spiritual laziness, poor planning concerning my soul, lack of wise organization in the use of my time for the kingdom and wrong priorities and goals.

I have never see anyone remain stuck who started the regular habit of praying, reading their Bible daily, counting their blessings, hanging out with strong Christians and attending services and bible study on a regular basis. Such an involved Christian cannot remain stuck. Therefore the following admonitions in Scripture:

•  “Flee youthful lusts… pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22).
• “Stand firm” (Ephesians 6:14). “Take up the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:13). “And having done everything, to stand firm” (6:13).
• “...standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
• “If indeed you continue in the faith” (Colossians 1:23).
• “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Things that Help

• Have confidence in your ability to resist. Many of us have been very stubborn in the past. What big improvements we would see in our lives if we simply applied that same stubbornness against sin? 
• See the big picture. Look honestly at how a sin is holding you back, hindering your relationships, bringing problems and pain into your life and hurting other people. Be willing to see how a sin is actually removing pleasure from your life and is getting in the way of enjoying life.
• This is your one life. So don’t act like this one doesn’t count. Do not be holding back. This is it — right now. So put forth the maximum effort (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
• Do not drag anyone else into your sin. Romans 1:32. It is one thing to be dabbling in sin it is an even lower level of evil to try to drag others into your unfaithfulness. Remember, there is no safety in rebellion against God, even if the whole world agrees with us, we are still doomed if we are not obeying God. A change of course is always just one decision away. 

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net