How to Get Out of a Rut

Dying for some time alone? I get it. Living with seven other people can mess with my sanity at times. We all need quiet space to just be.Most of life, however is lived connected in relationships. Statistically, we are able to accomplish more together. Take sports, for instance. I can't go out and play a game of volleyball alone. I could, but running back and forth under the net would be exhausting and weird.Did you know that people who work out consistently throughout their lives have two things in common? Mornings and partners. The least interrupted time of the day and a person to provide accountability.I am not a numbers girl, so I don't have statistics on this, but I do know people. There is an energy when a team of people get together to take on a project. Ideas begin to generate as team members feed off that energy, each contributing from different areas of strength and skill.We are truly better together.A question often asked by life coaches is, "where are you stuck?" In other words, "what's not going so well?"  Maybe it hasn't been going well for a while and whatever solutions you've tried have not been successful. Perhaps you've been trying to make it better for so long, you're just tired. Stuck.Being stuck can make you feel like a failure after a while, but you are not a failure. More than likely, the support and energy of another person could be just what you need to move forward. I believe that our Creator desires victory for us in those stuck places. I also believe that if we have been stuck there for a considerable length of time, it's because we are only operating in our own strength.We were created for a life of dependence. God has given us access to his strength and every spiritual blessing, but without dependence on him we are so limited. Limited energy, limited perspective, limited hope. Depending on him, staying connected like a branch to a vine sustains us with his very life. Have you sought his wisdom and strength for your stuck place?We were created for connection. Solomon in all of his wisdom reminded us that "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed." [Ecclesiastes 4:9] We are better together.  Another scripture tells us that "where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." [Matthew 18:20] We are better in prayer together.Let's move forward from that place that has become an area of defeat! Like getting wheels out of a deep rut, let's create new and better paths in life. Here is how we are able to get unstuck.

• Go to God seeking his guidance and clarity. Ask him, "how did I get stuck here?" Ask him for the first step you should take. He knows how to help you. His Spirit in you will whisper in your spirit and you will know.
• Ask God for his strength for your first step. Most of the time we know exactly what we need to do, but it's so hard. His strength is yours. You "can do all things through Christ" who strengthens you. [Philippians 4:13]
• Connect with someone who will walk through this with you. Commit to finishing what you start by meeting together until you find victory. If it's a financial issue, keep each other accountable to your budgets. If it's a health issue, find a work out partner. If it's a marriage issue, find another woman who is committed to loving her husband as Jesus teaches, and pray each other through this.

 We do not have to live in defeat. There is hope for change.The journey to victory may be difficult, but ask yourself, "how will I feel one year from now if I am still stuck here?" How badly do you want to get out of the rut you are in right now? What is freedom and victory worth to you?I am praying for you, friend. Pray for me as I pursue freedom in a stuck place in my life. Remember that you are loved by a good Father. It's who you are. He has not left us here as orphans. He has given us his Spirit and invites us to join him, to do life yoked with him, together.