"Stop going in a circle!"  my daughter yelled to her brother.  Her baby brother kept crawling around her and crossing over the toy magazine that she was excitedly browsing.  What is it about kids and running (or crawling) in a circle?  Over and over.   Is there something to be learned in that circle?

How many circles do we loop over and over?  How many ruts have we found ourselves stuck in?  We go round and round doing the same pattern, yet complaining that nothing has changed.   It is easy to think about the future and attach with it the addendum that nothing will change.  To allow the past events, past responses, past ideas to determine what will happen today, tomorrow, next year.  We take the etched circle of past responses and events and superimpose it over our future.

But before we do that, perhaps we need to look at the circle, at the scratches of the past, and use that map to learn how to stop going in a circle. And then we shatter the circle and break out of that rhythm of disbelief.  It is too easy to dismiss change as, "he's/she's/it's never changed in the past, how in the world will it change now?"  But, the Lord doesn't want us spinning in a circle.  In Romans he writes, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  (Romans 12:2)  The world tells us that things won't change, and slaps our past mistakes and circles in our faces.  The Lord tells us not to adopt the pattern of the world, but rather to renew our mind.  Renewing our mind means challenging past circles and beliefs that have us frozen.  Frozen in fear, disbelief, depression, anger, anxiety, and bitterness.

Paul writes, "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any exellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me -- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."  (Philippians 4:8-9)  Are we practicing thinking and believing in God's truths when we believe that the past's circle is the only way?  We need to boldly step out of the paradigm of past beliefs and move forward meditating and believing the truths of God.  And we need to be in His Word.   The Bible is full of truths, answers, and encoragement.  In Psalm 1, the psalmist tells us a promise.  "but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of waterthat yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers."  (Psalm 1:2-4)    There's a promise in those verses, my friends!  It states he meditates on the Lord's law, his truths, day and night.  And what is the result?  That he is like a tree by water...what he does prospers.  And that promise is for us as well.  We don't need to be rotating and dependant upon the past, we can be free to live in the now, in the future.  We need to be at Jesus' feet in the morning and the night.  We need to say, "no" to the thoughts that tell us that life won't change, that we are stuck, that it's too late.

These promises aren't only for us, but they are for our children.  Think about the power of raising up a generation of children who are able to recognize the trap of living based upon past circular ruts and mistakes!  We can teach our children to recognize mistakes, but not be bound be mistakes.  We can empower them to rebuke the traps of the world, the traps that can keep them spinning.  We can equip them with Scriptures, and emphasize and example the power of being in the Word of Christ.  And by living, believing, and having faith that the Lord is in control, that He has plans for us.  Plans to prosper us! 

Hold to these truths!  Look at your life...is there a circle that you are stuck in?  Boldly pray that the Lord will give you the courage and the steps to break out.  Meditate on His truths.  Have faith!  He is an amazing God!

Rachel