A Different Direction

We all have routes that have become familiar to us. Same road signs, same right turns, same potholes to avoid. Whether it's the ride to church or a commute to work, we encounter crossroads of choice where we habitually make the same choice.

The same right turn at the same intersection. The same ramp onto the same interstate. And we always end up at the same place.

How often are we spiritually living in the same cycle? Stop short of leaving our comfort zone here, dismiss that familiar nudge there when we think of that person, that apology, that habit. And here we are- again. Our souls have beaten down some familiar paths as well. Not all of them good. But as our pastor reminded us on Sunday, "Cycles only break when direction changes."

So this week, where are some crossroads that we could go a different direction-towards Him? Those places where you always turn "left"... What if you turned right?

Maybe a few hours into a fast when we usually would call it quits and plan on "getting back to it next week" ... But this time, we press on.

Or when the stresses of life would normally be numbed by scrolling through anything and everything... But this time, we hit our knees instead.

What if we got so tired of being stuck on loop, that we said yes to that opportunity of ministry we've been so afraid of? Or just handed them the "Sit With Me at Church" card even if we didn't have our whole speech ready? What if we intentionally humbled down where our pride normally stiffens up?

The wilderness cycle isn’t unbreakable, it’s just comfortable. Living in the promises of God is possible. We just have to be willing to turn in a different direction.