That’s what the rut feels like, and it seems as though we hit it every single year around this time– three days. Being in a rut isn’t necessarily the problem. The problem really is that we already made promises we won’t be able to keep in 2013. Moreover, we know that any changes, policies we implemented over the past few days have more chances hitting the PowerBall than of actually sticking through the month of January.
But we knew that already. In fact, our friends and family ask us why we put ourselves through that junk again and again, year after year. The conclusion always being the same: because no matter how we ended the previous year, we hope that the coming year will be the year God has made specifically for our blessing.
You didn’t really come into 2013 thinking that some form of behavioral modification would alter your life in the long term. But you believe it when other people tell you that behavioral modification is the only way; and that slow and steady growth by the sanctification of your soul through the will of God is less than nothing.
Let me break that down to you: people everywhere, because it is human nature, want to sell you the lie that you have to earn some type of merit based grace from God through changing the outwardly actions you make — that’s right, they are selling you the idea that you control something external to yourself; and you, just like me, believe it wholeheartedly.
Then when we think about it, there is no salvation, that being “hope.” The rut you hit is that feeling you’ll never be blessed the way you’re going and that isn’t a lie. It’s absolutely true. We won’t be blessed given the way we fail to change our behavior.
“Selah.” If you don’t know what that means, it just means that we need to chew on a new piece of information and make it applicable to our lives. What I want you to “chew” on when you are in a rut is this: “but,” that is to say that despite my inability and iniquities, God gives me a “but.”
But God is still with me. But, despite the fact we don’t deserve it because we are in a rut, God answers when we call out to Him in our rut. It doesn’t matter what we are, how bad we failed, or our quickly we broke form from change, God lifts us out of the rut.
If you’re in a rut already, don’t give up on the year. This could still very well be your year. You need to cry to God and remember He is your shield and your glory. Let’s cry to God every time we hit our rut this year.