Direction for the Derailed

​What do you do when you get derailed? Have you ever noticed how you can be consistently practicing positive health routines and habits and, in what seems like just a moment, everything goes off track leaving you to ask yourself the question, 

"How did I get here?"

Image by Sarah Kilian on Unsplash.com

When we get derailed from our God-given goals by abandoning the habits and routines that we've put in place to keep ourselves on track, it is usually associated with one of the following patterns of thought:
 
Getting it Done - Sometimes we just want to have a win!
Items on our "to do" list that can be crossed off today shout loudly and create a sense of urgency that overshadows the quietness of the small and simple habits and routines that must be practiced day in and day out, without ceasing, in order to reach a goal.
 
Distractions - Sometimes we just want to have fun!
Activities that feed our unspoken passions and pleasures often feel more fulfilling and rewarding than the long haul of taking one small step at a time toward the achievement of a goal that seems far off and may look very different than we had envisioned.
 
Disappointments - Sometimes we just want things to go our way! Investing in things that seem to produce instant emotional satisfaction is especially tempting when the long and slow journey towards our goals is filled with unmet desires and expectations. 

When you hear yourself saying,
“It should not be this hard.”
“It should not take this long.”
“It should not be this monotonous”

Pay attention! You are in danger of being thrown off track if you have not wandered off track already.
 
Thankfully, God knows that His children sometimes get off track. In Revelation 2, He offers a remedy for the derailed.

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first...
Revelation 2:5 (NIV)

Repent - Consider how far you have fallen! 
Truth is, we often prefer to spend our time doing activities that are easy, exciting and guarantee expedited and expected results!  Sometimes we want to create my own path to fulfillment rather than trusting and following the path of the abundant life that God has created for us to follow.
 
Return - Do the things you did at first...
Truth is, we often procrastinate returning to God-honoring routines because we make it more complicated than it really is. God’s instructions for returning are simple - do the things that you did before.  No new or more innovative plan is required. 

Good Health for Good Works Challenge:
Consider these questions:
Where are you today?

• As you picture yourself walking on the path God has set out for you, is everything on track or has it all fallen apart?

Do you need to repent of abandoning the habits and routines needed to stay on the path?

• What misguided beliefs led you there?
• What is the truth?

Do you need to return to the routines and habits that are part of God’s path for you?

• What is one habit or routine that you did when you were on the right path that you could start doing again?  Daily walking?  Pack your lunch at home?  Morning prayer time before you pick up your smartphone?
• Will you do that thing this week without making it more complicated than it really is?