Feeling Stuck

The other day I was sitting at my computer and I was looking at my to-do list. I felt paralyzed. I just sat there and stared at that list. I did not know where to begin. I had more on my list than I was physically able to do. So instead of doing something, I did nothing.

I don’t quite understand that rationale, but it happens. When there are so many options we get stuck with the paralysis of analysis. The more options we have, the less inclined we are to make a decision.

Sometimes I wish God would give me one specific thing to do. I wish that he would make it so clear to me that there would be no doubt what he would want me to do in any given moment. But that’s not really the way it works. There are many choices we have before us and many different opportunities that God presents for us to serve him in this world. There are so many needs and hurts but he has given me so much time and money. It is very easy to feel stuck and overwhelmed by it all.

So what do you do when you feel stuck in a rut, can’t make a decision, and feel lost?

• Get on your knees! Pray to God and give all these things over to him. Pray bold prayers. Ask him to give you clear direction. Ask him to show you what is most important.

• Just do it. Pick one thing and give it all you got. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the things you are not able to do. This is called focus.

• Delegate. You can’t do all. One of my favorite quotes is: “Never do ministry alone.” I try to implement this in what I do. God never intended for us to be Lone Ranger Christians. He has given us each other to work together and to serve together.

• Ask. Ask your spouse. Ask your parent. Ask your friend. Ask your pastor. Get an outsiders perspective and input. Be open with your struggle. Help others help you. Listen to their wisdom. Proverbs 24:6 reads, “So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.”

• Open up God’s Word. One thing I have never regretted is reading God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 reads that God’s Word is useful. There is power in God’s Word to encourage, direct, and inspire.

• Write out your goals. It is said, “show me your vision, I’ll show you your future.” Sometimes we can’t make a decision because we don’t have a destination in mind. If you are driving your car to a destination, it will guide your decision which way to turn when you come to an intersection. Without a destination, you will not have any guidance which way to turn. Be specific with your goals.

• Read to learn from others. I love to read the writings of highly effective pastors. They inspire me and encourage me to be a better pastor myself. I seek to learn from their successes and their failures. But the thing that always strikes when I read their stories is that it was not easy to get where they are now. They had failures and they had setbacks just like me, but with God’s help they were able to overcome. You and I have the same God on our side.

• Be mentored. Talk with people who were where you are but are now where you want to be. Going back to number 4 in this list, we often get stuck commiserating with people who are stuck where we are. Look beyond the horizon. Pick up the phone. Send and email. If the people who are stuck where you are at had the answers you are looking for, they would not be stuck where they are.

• Retreat! Those of you who have been on a retreat with me know I don’t like calling a retreat a retreat. I like to call them advances. The purpose of a retreat is to advance in our work. Retreat from the busyness of life to find time alone with God whether a short time out of your day or a longer time out of your week. We know that Jesus would often retreat to quiet and lonely places. These are times to be refreshed, renewed, and reinvigorated.

So, those are some ideas of what to do when you feel stuck. I would love to hear some ideas you might have. Feel free to leave a comment.