Get Out of the Rut

Many times in the lives of Christ-followers, we get into a spiritual rut. Many things create these ruts: a new chapter in life, a significant event, a lost dream, or great disappointment. Perhaps, however, one of the greatest causes of spiritual ruts is simply lazy or careless Christians. People who become complacent in their spiritual journey. If we're honest, everyone of us have been there at some point. It's a dangerous, extremely dangerous place to find ourselves in our spiritual journey. A. W. Tozer says, "There is not much that can be said in favor of lazy or careless Christians. God never told anyone to do anything that he or she could not do." In Matthew 12 there is a story where Jesus passes by a man with a withered, deformed hand. Some say it was paralyzed. Jesus looks at the man and says, "Stretch out your hand." The man believed that Jesus was the Christ, stretched out his hand and instantly God healed him. Perhaps the very fact that he stretched out his hand was a miracle. But, Jesus knowing His power asked the man to do the unlikely so that Jesus could show His strength. As Tozer says, "God has never asked anyone yet to do anything that He was not enabling the person to do."

What is God asking you to do? What impossible thing is He asking you to do? Remember, if it's up to you, you can't do it, but God can. Are you in a spiritual rut today, begin trusting God to do the impossible. The only thing He is asking of you is obedience. Begin to live the incredible life of a Christ-follower, step out and I know God will lift you out of your spiritual rut.



Rut, Rot or Revival. Tozer, A. W., Christian Publications, Camp Hill, PA, 1992.