What is holding You Back?
* Making New Year’s resolutions is no longer very popular, even though resolutions, when kept, can improve the quality of our life. One reason I heard for not making resolutions: “I will not keep them anyway, so why make them?”
* I am not saying that such resolutions are the panacea for our problems. I am not saying that we can pull ourselves up by our boot straps either. What I am saying is that Scripture tells us to follow God’s will for our life. Paul tells the Christians in Philippi to “work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” Phil 2:12-13.
* The problem is that there are many things that holding us back in life and stop us from a more fulfilling life. I see many Christians stagnant in the spiritual life, even taking steps backwards in their Christian journey. It seems that there are things weighing them down…
* A man was walking through an elephant camp. He noticed that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains. All that was holding them back from escaping the camp was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs. As the man observed the elephants more carefully, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all. Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape. The trainer said; “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
* The reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they believed that it wasn’t possible. They had the illusion they were incapable of freeing themselves.
* That is how many Christians live. They keep certain habits that are damaging to their spiritual life. They feel that they cannot be free. Paul tells the Galatians “Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Gal 5:1. How do people become slaves to the law? When they remain in sinful lifestyles!
* But why do people refuse to adjust their lives to God’s will… to change? What anchors them to lifestyles that do not allow them to make progress? Here are a few culprits:
A. Fear – Some people simply are afraid of making changes in life because of what people will say; others are afraid that they will have money problems; or that relationships will not work out. Most of those things are in our minds and are not real. But God tells us often not to be afraid. Fear “shrinks” our life. Have faith in Christ and be confident in your future instead.
B. Resentment & Lack of Forgiveness – All that resentment and lack of forgiveness do is hurt us. The best thing you can do when people have wronged you in the past is to leave it in the hands of God. Do not keep it on the back burner of the stove to keep cooking it. It gets you nowhere if you focus on it. Focus on Christ instead and the forgiveness you have received and let it go… forgive!
C. Low Self-Image – When you think that you are a “nobody,” insignificant trash, you will not be able to take a move forward in your relationship with Jesus Christ and other people. Remember, you are a precious child of God – God does not create junk! He made you and He loves you!
D. Distrust – People who have been hurt quite often have a hard time trusting people – they close themselves off for self-protection and distrust everyone. Yes, there are people you should not trust, but that is the exception. Family relations and friendships do not flourish without trust.
* These are just a few examples of what holds you back from being what God created you to be. God does not want you to be addicted to mediocre… to remain tied down by issues that can be taken out of your life by His power. He wants you to experience a full life. The Holy Spirit gives you the power to overcome anything and everything that ties you down that chokes you! Do not be like those elephants… Christ has set you free from the shackles. You are free indeed! (John 8:36) Live that way from now on. No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, believe that what you want to achieve is possible by the power of God. Have a blessed 2023. Rev. Don Sonntag
* Making New Year’s resolutions is no longer very popular, even though resolutions, when kept, can improve the quality of our life. One reason I heard for not making resolutions: “I will not keep them anyway, so why make them?”
* I am not saying that such resolutions are the panacea for our problems. I am not saying that we can pull ourselves up by our boot straps either. What I am saying is that Scripture tells us to follow God’s will for our life. Paul tells the Christians in Philippi to “work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” Phil 2:12-13.
* The problem is that there are many things that holding us back in life and stop us from a more fulfilling life. I see many Christians stagnant in the spiritual life, even taking steps backwards in their Christian journey. It seems that there are things weighing them down…
* A man was walking through an elephant camp. He noticed that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains. All that was holding them back from escaping the camp was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs. As the man observed the elephants more carefully, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all. Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape. The trainer said; “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”
* The reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was that over time they believed that it wasn’t possible. They had the illusion they were incapable of freeing themselves.
* That is how many Christians live. They keep certain habits that are damaging to their spiritual life. They feel that they cannot be free. Paul tells the Galatians “Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Gal 5:1. How do people become slaves to the law? When they remain in sinful lifestyles!
* But why do people refuse to adjust their lives to God’s will… to change? What anchors them to lifestyles that do not allow them to make progress? Here are a few culprits:
A. Fear – Some people simply are afraid of making changes in life because of what people will say; others are afraid that they will have money problems; or that relationships will not work out. Most of those things are in our minds and are not real. But God tells us often not to be afraid. Fear “shrinks” our life. Have faith in Christ and be confident in your future instead.
B. Resentment & Lack of Forgiveness – All that resentment and lack of forgiveness do is hurt us. The best thing you can do when people have wronged you in the past is to leave it in the hands of God. Do not keep it on the back burner of the stove to keep cooking it. It gets you nowhere if you focus on it. Focus on Christ instead and the forgiveness you have received and let it go… forgive!
C. Low Self-Image – When you think that you are a “nobody,” insignificant trash, you will not be able to take a move forward in your relationship with Jesus Christ and other people. Remember, you are a precious child of God – God does not create junk! He made you and He loves you!
D. Distrust – People who have been hurt quite often have a hard time trusting people – they close themselves off for self-protection and distrust everyone. Yes, there are people you should not trust, but that is the exception. Family relations and friendships do not flourish without trust.
* These are just a few examples of what holds you back from being what God created you to be. God does not want you to be addicted to mediocre… to remain tied down by issues that can be taken out of your life by His power. He wants you to experience a full life. The Holy Spirit gives you the power to overcome anything and everything that ties you down that chokes you! Do not be like those elephants… Christ has set you free from the shackles. You are free indeed! (John 8:36) Live that way from now on. No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, believe that what you want to achieve is possible by the power of God. Have a blessed 2023. Rev. Don Sonntag
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