You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? — Galatians 5:7
We have all fallen in a hole at some point, haven’t we? We’re walking our way through life and sooner or later, we find that we are at the bottom of some hole, looking up at the sky wondering how we got here. It’s inevitable. Holes happen! You see, the issue with these types of situations in life is not that they happen, but what we do when they happen. I love the following poem by Portia Nelson, it has Russell Biggs written all over it. Read it and reflect on it for a few moments.
In Chapter 3 when the person took blame for being in the hole, how quickly was he able to get out? What do you think of the advice in chapter 5?
Chapter I
I walk down the street.There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.I fall in.I am lost...I am helpless;it isn't my fault.It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter II
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it.I fall in again.I can't believe I am in the same place;but it isn't my fault.It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter III
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there.I still fall in....it's a habit.My eyes are open.I know where I am.It is my fault.I get out immediately.
Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I walk around it.
Chapter V
I walk down a different street.
This is a good image for the Christian experience, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if we could all learn from the “holes” in life and NOT repeat the inevitable one-way ticket back to the bottom? Instead of blaming, instead of succumbing to habit, if we could trust the Lord to guide us to a new “walk” in life, our lives would be different.
Transformation occurs when we are committed to being formed into the likeness of Jesus. Learning to follow Jesus is about learning to walk down streets that are different.
Today, choose to walk down a “different street.”
ANSWER THIS:
1. What hole are you in now? Are there holes that you are stuck in? What is preventing you from climbing out?
2. How can Jesus guide your life in a new way today? What would your life look like if you walked down a different street? Come on, go there for a moment and then go there!
READ THIS:Luke 16:19-31; Daniel 3; Matthew 7:24-27
It is funny reading this because the first thing that some may think of is... walk around it! As I thought more on that I linked it to compromise and sin. Sometimes we think we can walk close to a hole and not fall in... The truth is that when you compromise your walk you are bound to fall or be at risk of falling. Yes in life we have paths or ways we are use to handling things and they can become habitual but if you do not make a conscious decision to change and then walk that thing through.... then I guess you remain stuck in a hole (sin, relationship, job… fill in the blank)huh???
ReplyDeleteThe biggest mistake you can make is seeing a problem and not realizing change is needed.
Just a little thought.