STUCK IN A RUT: WHAT STOPPED ME?

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living – Luke 15:13

REFERENCE
Luke 15:11-24

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” – Tony Robbins

Most times in life, your decisions play a vital part in getting you to your desired destination (fulfilled goals). So, if you are stuck on the journey to getting to your desired destination, you need to be honest with yourself, and objectively analyze the decisions you took that ‘derailed’ you, or that stopped you from achieving your set goals – whether financially, spiritually, physically, maritally or in your career. Doing this will basically help you to identify the rusty ‘clog in the wheel’ of your progress, so you can make the necessary adjustments and take the right steps to outmaneuver it.

An unhealthy relationship with money and bad financial decision(s) stopped the prodigal son from achieving his goal of ‘Financial Freedom.’ This manifested in his display of a ‘waste mentality’ (he gathered ALL he had and journeyed to a far country), in bad investments, lack of a saving culture, and in his misuse of money. Although the famine in the land (which was outside his control) also played a part in wrecking his financial future, it was ultimately his decision not to invest or save for the rainy day that kept him stuck in the pig pen.

For some people, what keeps them stuck in a rut is procrastination and sheer laziness – they just kept postponing the takeoff date and didn’t get started at all. For others, it is distraction; they got off-track and started pursuing items that were not on their agenda. The need to keep up with friends around the world on virtual social platforms consumes them early in the morning, and then by evening, they realized they did nothing on their ‘to-do list. This is simply a misplacement of priorities and it is responsible for where some people are today. They have expended their time, energy and money on unimportant things and now the important things are suffering (majoring on the minor and minoring on the major). The prodigal son also got distracted by friends and the good things of life; he could not resist but spent wastefully.

If your decisions have got you stuck in life, this is not to condemn you, but to show you that you (through Christ) hold the power to your freedom. By applying God’s wisdom to your situation and making the right decisions from here on, you can come out of any rut, and in no time, get to your desired destination in life. May God, who is the Wonderful Way-maker, make a way out into a wealthy place for you, in Jesus name!

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Proverbs 4:25, Deuteronomy 30:19 & James 1:5

TO DO
Make a list of the things under your control that you know have stopped you from reaching your goals/desired destination in different aspects of your life; then ask for God’s forgiveness and His wisdom to make the necessary adjustments that will set you on the right course.