It was a very hot day at the beach where I live in Florida. My feet were burning from walking on the sand as I lugged all of my gear across the beach. Before I could even get settled, I threw my stuff down and ran to the shoreline to get my feet wet.

The cool ocean water felt so refreshing on my scalded feet that I wanted to stand there for a few minutes. The longer I stood there, the more I began to sink into the wet sand. My feet got stuck. At that moment, I realized that by enjoying the cool ocean water, I forfeited my ability to move quickly. The next thing I knew, a giant wave crashed over me. Because I was stuck, not only were my ankles wet, my clothes were soaked, too.

Many Christians are trudging through life because they’re spiritually stuck. Here are two ways to get unstuck:

 (1) Don’t consult your past when moving into your future. Your past is only a reference.

“But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT

The enemy wants you to live in the failures of your past. He’ll remind you where you came from, what you don’t have, and all the should haves, could haves, and would haves in your life. He’ll attack your mind and keep you in shame. When we see what God sees, our faith moves us forward. God will always create a path for us. Never stop to consult your past. Keep it moving! 

(2) Don’t allow events and circumstances to dictate where you will go. Stick with God’s principles.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

If you follow the crowd, you get what the crowd has, but if you follow God, you’ll get what God has. Find out what he has for your life. He knows who you should marry, where you should live, what job to have, and businesses to start. He will equip you for every good work. We consult the Lord in prayer to show us where to go. The Bible says the steps of the righteous are ordered by God. 

The Lord has an assignment for your life. Don’t allow the enemy to trick your thoughts into staying stuck in a problem. The Lord has equipped you to get out of every trap sent by the enemy. (Hebrews 13:21) Start today and move forward with kingdom purpose!