“So we must daily keep things wound: that is, we must pray when prayer seems dry as dust; we must write when we are physically tired, when our hearts are heavy, when our bodies are in pain.”
by Madeleine L’Engle in Walking on Water.
Have you ever been in a rut? You may have walked along the ruts left over from the wagon trains that settled the western United States. You may have found your vehicle stuck in a muddy or snowy rut. You may be making the same meals you have made for months – or years. You may have felt like a relationship in your life was just not growing in any way. You may have felt like your job just did the same things over and over and over. Generally we think of a “rut” as a bad thing – we are stuck in it, not going anywhere, unable to move. And, in a lot of things this may be true. But I think there are “ruts” that can be good for us.
Spiritual discipline habits can be “ruts” – things deeply embedded in our life – but they give us continuity when circumstances are chaotic. They give us familiarity when all is unknown. They give us structure when life is seemingly spinning out of control. A spiritual “rut” can be a comfortable, secure, familiar place in which to shelter in a time of storm. But, God doesn’t just want us to shelter. He wants us to grow and develop and flourish – to live a life of abundant blessing.
But what if you’re already “there” in that rut? Do you quit eating because you’re fixing the same six meals? I don’t think so. Does God quit listening because you are saying the same prayers you learned as a kid? I don’t think so. Does God quit speaking through his Word you have read umpteen times? I don’t think so. The enemy of our souls steers us into negative ruts in our spiritual practices, our habits, and our thoughts because he wants to steal, kill, and destroy the Abundant Life that God wants us to live. He wants to twist and warp God’s Truth – that we are to “[P]ress on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV)
Of course, spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, church attendance, etc., done by rote or without any heart and spirit connection don’t have the same life as a fresh, new wind of Holy Spirit’s movement in your life. And, I believe, we should always be striving toward development of our relationship with God so that it never grows stale or seems like it is in a rut. Always, always, always our Father God wants to lavish us with Love because we are his children. Always, always, always he wants to pour out blessings and abundance into us. Sometimes our “ruts” inhibit him from doing that, but a small movement on our part can pull us back under the umbrella of blessings and abundance. God’s Word will not return void; it will accomplish his purpose because it is like fire or a hammer that breaks apart the ruts in our life that need to be destroyed. Then, instead of being stuck, we can GO where Jesus calls.
Today, simply ask God to help you identify when and where your “ruts” are inhibiting your growth. Then listen and go where Holy Spirit calls you.
God of Abundant Life,
Thank you for your Word that never returns without accomplishing its purpose. Thank you for the spiritual disciplines that help to form and shape our lives and our relationship with you. And thank you for the Word – Jesus Christ in our lives – that can act like fire or a hammer to break and burn away the place where we are stuck. Help us to move forward in faith, even when it seems dry as dust, exhausting, painful, or heavy. Give us wisdom and courage to not stay stuck in familiar ruts, but to seek out your Abundance, Grace, and Love. Show us where our ruts are inhibiting our growth and help us to hear and go where you call us to go. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
“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.” (John 10:10 NKJV)
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NIV)
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 NIV)
“As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV)
“Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:28-29 NIV)
“Press On” by Selah
When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall
When the choices are hard
When we’re battered and scarred
When we’ve spent our resources
When we’ve given our all
In Jesus’ name, we press on In Jesus’ name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
In Jesus’ name, we press on
In Jesus’ name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
To press on