“Stuck!”
By Susan Klein
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Living in Wisconsin,
and having to navigate snowy roads, I have an underlying fear of getting stuck.
It likely stems from an incident in my teens. I had just received my learner’s
permit and was driving to work during a heavy snowfall. A large semi started to
creep into my lane from the right so I instinctively veered left to avoid
collision. The slickness of the road took me right up onto the center median,
coming to a halt in a six-foot snowbank. All I could see through the windshield
was white! I could neither move the car forward nor in reverse. I was seriously
stuck!
Fortunately for me,
a man driving a pick-up with a plow on the front saw what happened and quickly came
to my rescue. He was able to pull me out and get me back on the road again. Unbeknownst
to me at the time, God provided that way out.
There are other ways
we tend to get “stuck.” Have you ever tried to shake a bad habit, only to keep
going back to it again? Might you struggle with repeating wrong ways of
thinking or of responding? Some people get stuck in a form of legalism - - holding
themselves (and maybe others) to high standards that can’t be met. Others
remain trapped in old harmful sin patterns. It can be quite discouraging to
feel stuck in a place where we don’t want to be. Fortunately, we do have a way out.
Just as God sent a
man with a plow to free me from the snow, He also sent us a Man, His Son, to
free us from the bondage of sin and wrong thinking. Scripture says we are no
longer slaves to sin (1), nor are we slaves to the law/legalism (2). We
don’t have to remain in bondage to our old ways, and we don’t have to strive
for perfection. Jesus has set us free, once, for all time. (3) By His death and
resurrection, He has plowed the road that leads to freedom. We just need to
believe it!
Next time you find
yourself bogged down by wrong thoughts or actions, try replacing them with (getting
stuck on) these truths:
- I am not defined by my past,
but by my position in Christ.
- I have the power of the Holy
Spirit to help me overcome traps and temptations.
- I am no longer a slave, but
an heir of the King!
- God wants me to enjoy my
freedom in Christ.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where might the enemy have you feeling
trapped or immovable?
2. What truths might you need to
embrace instead?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and
co-leads an in-home small group. She serves as a mentor to young women, and is
a member of Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work through conflict.
