Disobeying God Can Make Us Stuck
Have you ever felt stuck at your job, in a friendship, a relationship, or even in a place that once felt right?
Many of us have entered into friendships, relationships, and even made significant, life-changing decisions that might have felt right to us at the time—but that weren’t God’s will for our lives.
Maybe we quickly jumped into an opportunity that presented itself, and because of our circumstances, impatience, or even out of desperation, we took it and never even considered asking God if that was the right choice for us.
We ignored the red flags and kept on going because our decision felt comfortable. But now, we feel stuck—and maybe even unhappy—in something that we once supposed to be the right option.
If this has happened to you then you are not alone. Most of us have made wrong decisions throughout the course of our lives.
The good news is that Jesus wants to deliver us from the consequences of all of the bad choices—the ones that brought our lives to a stuck and stagnant place—making us free to walk in the fullness of our destiny and calling.
Doing What Feels Good To Us
All throughout middle school, high school, and for the better part of my college years, I never had a boyfriend. Everywhere I turned, I was bombarded by teenage romance fever. In school, I saw some of my classmates dating their crushes. At home, all of the TV shows and movies from my time had that cute, picture-perfect couple everyone aspired to be. I was starting to feel left out and desperate to have a boyfriend.
To make the long story short, I was 22 and still never had a boyfriend. Then one day, a neighbor from the apartment building where I was living at the time started to show interest in me. I was flattered and overwhelmed to have finally met a nice guy who liked me and wanted to be my boyfriend.
Of course, I quickly started dating him and ended up entering into a five-year relationship.
He was all wrong for me. There were red flags everywhere. Deep down, I knew he was not the one. But in my desperation to have a boyfriend and experience the kind of love I saw on TV, I convinced myself he was the right one.
Never—not once—did I pray and ask God about that relationship. I went ahead and did what I wanted. My desire to have a boyfriend surpassed all of the red flags that were presented to me along the way.
My stubbornness led me to waste five years of my life in a relationship that was never going to go anywhere. I was stuck in a dead-end relationship I wanted to hold on to because I was comfortable not being single.
After five years of ignoring God in my life, I began going through a turbulent season of change and started to seek the Lord once again. It was then that the Lord opened my eyes to see that the guy was never going to marry me. I needed to let go of the idea I had fabricated in my head—that one day we would start a family together. Holding on to that dream was keeping me stuck.
So, with the courage and strength I received from the Holy Spirit, I broke away from the fear of being single and was finally free to end that relationship once and for all.
Have you ever made a decision that led to a stuck, dead-end situation?
Hitting Rock Bottom As A Consequence Of Disobeying God
Time and time again, the Isrealites departed from God’s law, instructions, and commandments—doing what they wanted or what they thought was right in their own eyes. Their disobedience caused them unnecessary hardship, oppression and defeat.
They became stuck in the consequences of their choices, burdened by the weight of what they had brought upon themselves.
All throughout the Bible, we see examples of the consequences of disobedience. But today I want to bring to your attention The Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. —Luke 15:11-24
The prodigal son wanted his inheritance so he could go live his life according to his own desires. He probably thought that doing what he wanted would bring him happiness and fulfillment. But he was wrong.
After having spent all of his inheritance in a distant land, he was left with nothing. He found himself in a desperate position. After having all of the riches and pleasures the world could offer, he hit rock bottom—and the only job he could find was feeding pigs.
The consequences of his rebellion and disobedience brought him to a place of bondage. He was stuck in a life that was never meant for him.
Coming To Our Senses
When the prodigal son came to his senses, he realized that his sin had brought him to a place of complete ruin.
He also recognized that he needed to get his life back in order. He could no longer stay in that place of bondage that was stealing, killing and destroying his destiny.
Deliverance in his life began by:
Acknowledging his sin
Making the decision to leave behind that life that was eating away his true identity in Christ and calling in life
Repenting and asking his father for forgiveness
This process brought restoration. When the father saw him coming back, he didn’t shame him. He welcomed him home with open arms, restored his identity, and celebrated his return.
Jesus Restores
Just as the prodigal son, when we disobey God and go after the things we want, we step out of alignment with His plan. That’s why we become stuck, unfulfilled, and unhappy.
But when we come to our senses—when we acknowledge our sin, repent, and turn back to Him—God is ready to restore us.
If you, my friend, have walked according to the flesh—going after your own desires and ignoring God—and now find yourself hitting rock bottom like the prodigal son, I have good news for you:
The Lord always delights in us coming back to Him. He wants to restore your identity, reorder your life, and bring you back to the fullness of our destiny and calling in life. He is able, and He is willing. All you have to do is come back to Him.
Much love,
Jackie