Have you ever had the frustrating experience of your car being stuck in the mud or snow. We spin and try rocking the car and try pushing and just when it seems like it’s free, it slides back or it goes a couple feet and gets stuck again in another rut.

There is a life experience that can feel the exact same way, we feel like we are “spinning our wheels.” We probably did not willingly go into a situation where we’re stuck this way. We just find ourselves there but sometimes, with help we’re able to free ourselves, learn our lesson and move on.

Other times it could be a pattern that we repeat, a mindset that brings us back to the same place over and over again. Paul lamented that he found himself doing the opposite of what he wanted to do, he found himself doing that wrong that he didn’t want to do – Romans 7:15-20. No matter how foolish it is, we keep returning to that same place – Proverbs 26:11. Even when we know this behavior will cause us grief we find ourselves back in the mud, frustrated and spinning our wheels, mad at ourselves for falling back into it. 

Sadly, we sometimes push away our family, friends and loved ones when we’re in this place. In the muck and mire we choose to be alone, away from anyone that could help pull us out. We hate the place that we’re in but we also enjoy it because we’re so used to it… it’s a familiar, comfortable place for us.

Israel had been in slavery to the Egyptians for over 400 years (Exodus 2:23), and even after God delivered them in a miraculous way they were drawn back to slavery. They were anxious to be free from Egypt but after a while they remembered how “good” they had it and wanted to return – Exodus 16:3.

What a mess we find ourselves in!

Can God change all this? Could He not only free us from the spinning rut we’re in but also change our character so we aren’t so drawn to return to that behavior? 

Not only did Paul lament the fact that he was drawn to do the things he didn’t want to do, he said that Jesus Christ was the one who could free him – Romans 7:24.

The brokenness that’s in us all comes from the fallen nature (Psalm 14:2–3) and that fallen nature wants to master us. We are led astray by the brokenness that’s in us – James 1:14.

There has to be a new nature in us, a nature that doesn’t follow the old way but will follow God. The Bible calls this being born again (John 3:5), and it’s the first step in a life that is free of all the trappings of the old broken nature. This new nature that we have (2 Corinthians 5:17) always wants to follow God, in fact, it has completely opposite desires of the old nature – Galatians 5:17. Since this new creation has the opposite desires of the old nature we won’t fall into the same trappings like before – Galatians 5:16.

Being a new creation means all things are new but it also means that we are “babes” in the beginning and we mature and grow, The old nature will have its moments in us and will pull us back and sometimes we will find ourselves back in the mud spinning our wheels, but God will not leave us there — we can be confident that He will continue His work in us – Philippians 1:6. Gods desire for all of us is to be conformed to His Son, and He patiently works in us to complete that – Romans 8:29.

Some may say that they’ve been Christians for years, and none of this works for them. They still fall back into the same old muddy rut time and time again. We start to believe that God’s workings and promises are true for others, or at least they seem to work better for others. The truth is that God’s freedom is for those who want to be free. You are free when you allow Jesus to set you free – John 8:36. Sometimes we just plain enjoy the self pity and self loathing. There is such a wounding in us, who can bear a wounded spirit? – Proverbs 18:14. We just want to crawl back into that place. Jesus asked the sick man lying at the pool if he wanted to get better – John 5:6. Why would Jesus have to ask that question, the man had been lying there for 38 years? Of course he wanted to get better, or did he? Jesus restored that man and Jesus is alive today and asks the same question, do you want to get better? Maybe we can give the same excuses the man gave at the pool, “I’ve been here so long and nobody helps me.” Maybe our excuses are the same, maybe it’s “You don’t know how hard I have it,” or “I’ve been so hurt.” All valid reasons but… Jesus asks the same question of us all, do you want to get better?

C.L.F