Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
Do you feel like you're in a rut? You know, same
job, same people, same ministry, day in, day
out, same old stuff. The nagging feeling that
things are never going to change or get better.
And so you really just quit trying? You stagnate.
Would you like to learn how to overcome those
feelings of stagnation? Would you like to rekindle
the flame of motivation in your life and relationships?
It can happen. Stay with me. Let's talk about
it. Life is dynamic. You're either growing or
you're dying. There's no middle ground. Yet many
Christians feel stuck in a spiritual rut, going
through the motions without real progress. I'm
Dave Drewy, and today on Living on the Edge,
Chip Ingram reveals seven powerful principles
that will propel you beyond personal stagnation.
In our series Experience Breakthrough, we're
discovering how to stop feeling confined by life's
biggest barriers. Today's barrier? Stagnation.
that frustrating sense that you're not moving
forward spiritually. But here's the good news.
God has a plan to get you unstuck. Well, here's
Chip Ingram with his message on how to overcome
personal stagnation. Does your life honestly
feel more like an adventure? Does your life feel
more like a rut? See, life is dynamic. Life is
dynamic. It is not static. You are either growing
or dying. It's true physically, it's true intellectually,
it's true relationally, it's true spiritually.
All living things are either growing and increasing
toward maturity or they are deteriorating toward
decay and death. There is no middle ground. The
myth in life is that we think there is. When
we think the status quo is where we are, we are
just sliding backwards without knowing it. See,
growth is exciting. Do you remember when your
kids, those of us that are married, do you remember
when your kids start growing and they, Dad, will
you measure me? Will you measure me? Right? They
don't come and say, oh gosh, Dad, I grew another
three inches. When you grow intellectually, and
for some of us, when you get on that computer
and you actually punch the writing buttons and
something comes up, what happens? Wow, this is
neat. When you're involved in a relationship
and you sense it growing and intimacy coming
and you work through issues, what happens? You're
excited. When you begin to come into a relationship
with Christ like 20 to 25 people did last weekend
alone, and when they learn who he is and what's
going on, they get excited. We need to remember,
though, that growth only comes from God. We can
get in the right environment and we can apply
ourselves, but growth, especially spiritual growth,
it's supernatural. You can't make it happen.
You can just position yourself where God can
do it. It's not automatic. My experience is it
is very difficult. It doesn't just happen. There
are no magic pills. And the other thing I've
realized is that growth can be stymied, thwarted,
stagnated, and retarded. You know, you can take
a plant out of the sunshine and put it in a closet.
What happens? You can take an arm that is growing
well and have it injured and put it in a cast.
What happens? Atrophy. Some common reasons that
I've found that growth is stymied is sometimes
we just don't get motivated. Other times there's
that initial inertia, we can't get through it.
For others, there's no sense of progress, we
get discouraged. Sometimes there's just no inspiration,
it just seems like... For others, we get stuck
and we need guidance. For others, there's a time
of change and we don't know how to get through
that period of change. I don't know what it is,
but this is what I know. I know that everyone
in this room finds their self at some point in
time, in some area, morally, spiritually, relationally,
intellectually, or emotionally, where you get
stuck, where you get stagnated. And when you
do, and when I do, then that area of your life
begins to shrink. But God wants you to grow.
So here's my question. How are you growing today?
How are you growing? How are you growing in your
relationship with God? How are you growing in
your relationship with people? How are you growing
in your family life? And here's the question.
Would you like to learn how to break through
those barriers of personal stagnation, especially
in your relationship with God and people? I want
to give you seven principles from Scripture.
There may be 20. There may be 100. But as I've
examined Scripture and lived life and watched
people who grow, It's obvious that people who
grow have at least these seven things in common.
People who grow, number one, live daily with
the end in view. People who are really growing
are motivated. In fact, this principle is the
key to motivation. One of the great problems
with believers is some believers think that their
goal in life is to get to heaven. People, that's
not your goal in life. That's your destination.
Your goal in life is to become like Christ. Romans
8, 28 says that God takes every situation, every
relationship, every hardship, every single thing
that comes into your life, and he works it together
for good to those who are called, to those that
he loves. Why? Verse 29, not nearly as often
quoted, because he is preordained to conform
you, to conform me to the image of his son. God's
game plan is to make you like Jesus. That's the
goal. In fact, notice Jesus' words on the Sermon
on the Mount, Matthew 5, 48. Be perfect, therefore,
as your heavenly Father is perfect. You might
circle that word perfect. Other translations,
it says mature. It means fully grown. It means
ripe. The Greek word is teleos, and I only tell
you that because you get the idea of a telescope
or those in philosophy who are familiar with
the teleological argument. It's the idea of something
arriving and coming to its full, God is saying,
Jesus is saying, be ye perfect. Come and become
all that God designed you to become. The Apostle
Paul will say, that's in fact why the church
is designed. Ephesians 4, 13, he's going to say
that these relationships in the body are all
designed in order to help you and to help me
become full grown or mature. Look at it with
me. It says, until we all reach unity in the
faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God,
And become, here's our word again, same word,
mature. Circle that. Attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ. It's God's goal. And
when you lived with the end in view, that's who
you want to become. The question in life when
you get up every morning is not, what am I going
to do today? The question in life every day when
you get up is, who am I going to become more
like today? When you put that out there, that
target on the wall, when you live with that end
in view, you know what will happen? You'll be
motivated. I'm extremely motivated because do
you ever reach it? No, the Apostle Paul says
what? I attain, I strive, not that I'm already
there. You'll spend the rest of your life until
Jesus comes back or you go meet him. Going after
the prize of becoming more like Christ. Second
characteristic of people who grow is they make
a personal commitment to grow. is the key to
overcoming inertia. A lot of us don't grow because
we feel stuck. Newton was right, I think, both
spiritually and in the laws of physics. A body
at rest tends to stay at rest until there's an
action upon it. And often what we need in growth
is not some big thing. We just need to get moving.
But how do you break that inertia? I believe
the scripture teaches and that as I observe people,
they make a personal commitment to grow. Notice
that Jesus called for that in Luke 9, 23. He
didn't just teach. He called for specific commitment
to grow, to follow him. Verse 23 of Luke 9, Then
he, Jesus, said to them all, If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself, take up
his cross daily, and follow me. Did you hear
that? That means you sign up. I want to grow.
Jesus, I want to follow you. Take up your cross
means you die to your agenda, your goals, what
you think is best, and you say, I'm signing up
and I want to be on your game plan. Notice the
reason being. It's because he loves you, not
because he wants to keep something good from
you. For whoever wants to save his life will
lose it. But whoever loses his life for me will
save it. Notice his rationale. What good is it
for man to gain the whole world and yet lose
or forfeit his very self? See, what God knows
is this, is that you're being bombarded day in
and day out in a fallen world, and we all grow
up with this baggage and these agendas, and we
think if we could make a list of these 25 things
that would work out in my life, then we'd be
happy. Seeking our life. I want to be this. I
want to be that. I want to be this. I want to
be that. I've got to have that. If I only have
this. And what he's saying is you need to lose
that. Let go. Because if God in the next 50 years
gave you everything on your list, you would end
up with everything you ever dreamed of and be
absolutely an empty shell and realize your ladder's
against the wrong wall. But he says, by contrast,
the paradox of life is if you choose to sign
up for what's on his list, and there may be ones
that are very similar, you sign up for what's
on his list and you let go, you will find your
life. You will become all and beyond what you
ever dreamed of becoming. Because what would
it gain for you or for me to have the whole world
and yet forfeit, not just your soul spiritually,
but notice this translation. It's a good one.
It's your self. You're listening to Living on
the Edge. More from Chip Ingram in just a moment.
But first, if today's teaching is resonating
with you, don't keep it to yourself. You can
easily share this message with friends and family
by visiting livingontheedge .org. There you'll
find not only today's program, but an entire
collection of biblical resources designed to
help you experience breakthrough in every area
of life. It's all available at livingontheedge
.org. Well, let's continue with Chip's message.
Notice it's a specific point in time the Apostle
Paul will write in 1 Timothy 4, 7, and 8, have
nothing to do with godless myths and old wives'
tales. Rather, train yourself to be godly. There's
a decision involved. Train yourself. Follow me.
For physical training is of some value, but godliness
has value for all things, holding promise both
for the present life and the life to come. Let
me ask you now, has there ever been a point in
time for all of you since you've become a Christian
where you have driven a stake in the ground and
said, I'm going to grow? I mean, come hell or
high water. Come good relationships, bad relationships.
Come good circumstances, bad circumstances. I
am going to follow Christ. It's kind of like
what Joshua said. As for me and my house, the
whole world can go a different direction. All
my friends can go a different direction. But
for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Have you ever done that? Now, I know what you're
thinking. It's what I've said it for years. I'm
not ready for that. I'm not ready for that. You
know what the misbelief is? The misbelief is
that we grow toward commitment. That's not true.
The way you grow is you build on commitment.
Now, some of you, many in this room are married,
so you said I do before a group of people, right?
And you said, I'm going to stick with this person
come thick or thin. Now, do you know what the
thick and thin is when you signed up for it?
Heck no, you didn't know. In fact, some of you
wish you would have known. But the fact of the
matter is you build on that commitment. You don't
build toward it. You don't live together for
49 years and say, you know, honey, I think this
is going to work. You build on commitment. How
many of us, when you had your first child, felt
like, we're ready for this. We got this wired.
You know, it's like, and then the second one
comes. You know what you do, though? You don't
have what you need, but you're committed as a
parent to making it. Let me ask you, have you
ever done that? See, that's how you break through
that initial inertia. You make the commitment
and say, I'm going to go for broke. I'm going
to follow Christ. And you think, well, what about,
what about, what about? He'll give you, he'll
show you what to do. But that's, there's people
that have spent their whole Christian life waiting
for when they're more mature, when they're really
ready. You'll wait till Jesus comes and you'll
miss life. Third, people who grow not only live
daily with the end in view, and so it's the key
to motivation. Not only do they make a personal
commitment, which is the key to overcoming inertia.
Third, they value process more than event. And
that's the key to progress. See, what happens
is we think growth happens in these huge spurts.
We think that there's a magic pill. There's a
seminar. There's a book. There's a secret teaching.
There's a second experience. There's something
somewhere, somehow. There's an area of the country,
and if you go visit that area of the country,
you get holy, and you get powerful, and everything's
going to change. You dream it. That's not the
way life works. So if people who really grow
understand it's the everyday nickel and dime,
tiny little decisions you make, it's the process
that produces real growth. Notice the writing
to the Hebrews written to a group of people that
had stopped growing. They started to grow. They
were Jewish Christians and then the heat turned
up and there was persecution and they were moving
back into legalism and to the law. And the book
of Hebrews is written to this group saying, hey,
Christ is superior to the law. Christ is superior
to the priesthood. Christ is superior to angels.
Christ is superior to Moses. He's saying, hey,
get with the program. It's grace, baby. There's
a new covenant. And he writes to this group of
people, verse 11, and it's sort of a, A little
rebuke. He says in chapter 5 of verse 11, we
have much to say about this, talking about spiritual
growth, but it's hard to explain because you
are slow to learn. They're not growing. In fact,
though by this time you ought to be teachers.
You need someone to teach you the elementary
truths of God's word all over again. He goes
on to say, you need milk like babies, not solid
food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an
infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about
righteousness. Now get the next verse. Notice
how growth occurs and look for the concept of
the process. But solid food is for the mature.
Circle it. That's our word again. Teleos. Solid
food, spiritual food, is for the mature. Now
get this. Who by constant use have trained themselves.
Does that sound like a process? to distinguish
good from evil, who by constant use, not a big
event, a little here, a little there, constant
use have trained themselves. The secret to your
future is hidden in your daily routines. Luke
16 .10 says, He that is faithful in a very little
thing will be faithful also in much. He who is
unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous
also in much. You know, people tell me, oh, I
really want to walk with God. God doesn't care
about how I drive. God doesn't care about whether
I talk this way or do that. God doesn't care
about those little decisions. God doesn't care
about this or that. I got news. God cares about
that. Because if you're not faithful in little
things, if I'm not faithful in little things,
why would he entrust you with more? God wants
you to know it's the very little things, the
tiny attitudes with people, the tiny disciplines
with him. The little things, a decision here,
integrity here, relationship here, and you build
on them. One Russian philosopher said, a man
spends the first half of his life building habits,
and the second half of his life will be determined
by the habits he or she builds the first half.
I'll tell you. The most profound beyond words
impact in my life in terms of whatever usefulness
God has for my life now and in the future was
not a big event. It was not the schools that
I've been to. It is not any great spiritual awakening.
You know, the greatest impact when I look back,
if someone said, what's the one thing that has
shaped your life, Chip, more than anything else
other than people? I would say it was a bricklayer
with a high school education shortly after I
became a Christian who came to my dorm room and
taught me how to have a daily quiet time. And
I couldn't get up for the first year or so. And
in the next year, I spent five to seven, maybe
ten minutes with God every morning before I went
off to school. But the discipline of on a daily
basis, not big deal, not mastering the Bible,
not memorizing at all, but on a daily basis reading
systematically through the Bible, meeting with
God before I meet with people. You know, you
are what you eat, and it's true physically, it's
true psychologically, and it's true spiritually.
I miss a day, of course, here and there. But
it's kind of, you know, I miss a meal now and
then too, but not many. And so it's just become
a part of my life. You know what I've learned?
Is over the years, I just get up and I read the
Word and I ask God. Sometimes it's emotional.
Sometimes I don't feel much. But I say, God,
I want you to speak to me. And I want to learn
who you are. I want to draw close to you. And
I know that you're more important than the whole
world. And the only way I can demonstrate that
is stop and be with you first. And then I pray
through my day. And then I sit quietly and I
ask Him to search my heart and sometimes jot
down some things He makes aware of. I would feel
overwhelmed. But you know what I know? I'm going
to get up tomorrow and I'm going to meet with
God and he's going to show me what to do next.
I don't have a clue. There's situations as a
parent, you know, we've had financial struggles,
we've had marital struggles, we've had, I've
shared most of them. But you know what the constant
has been, the rudder of my life? God shows up
every morning when I do. And you know, inch by
inch over the years, little by little, that has
been the primary shaper of my heart, my life,
my values, and my relationships. Doesn't happen
overnight. Seven keys to personal growth. The
first, live daily with the end in view. It's
the key to motivation. Second, make a personal
commitment. It's the key to overcoming inertia.
Third, value process more than event. It's the
key to progress. So you get discouraged thinking
you're not making progress. You're making progress.
Real growth is slow. Fourth, cultivate stimulating
relationships. It's the key to inspiration. Growing
people. to arrange their lives and their schedules,
are you ready? To be around growing people. To
be inspired, to be challenged, to be stretched.
Every time I rub up against people that are walking
with God and they're ahead of me here and they're
making progress there, every time I get near
them, I want to lean forward into it. And there's
times where there's people that have huge needs,
and I feel inadequate. I don't know, but when
I get involved in their life, and I get stimulated,
and I realize God can use a regular guy like
me. He can use a regular person like you. This
is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and we're
in our series called Experience Breakthrough.
Today, Chip shared the first four principles
of spiritual growth, live with the end in view,
make a personal commitment, embrace the process,
and cultivate stimulating relationships. Chip
has more to say in just a moment, so stay with
us. You know, that third principle is so important.
Growth happens through constant use, not through
big events. It's the daily discipline of meeting
with God that shapes us over time. And if you're
ready to build that kind of daily rhythm into
your life, I want to point you toward a resource
that can help. It's Chip's free 10 -day devotional
called Psalms of Hope. Now, this isn't about
adding another task to your already busy schedule.
It's about learning how to connect with God in
a way that actually sticks. Chip will guide you
through Psalm 1, Psalm 15, and Psalm 23, showing
you not just what these passages mean, but how
to study Scripture for yourself. The format is
simple. 10 minutes of teaching from Chip, then
10 minutes of personal reflection and prayer.
20 minutes a day for 10 days. That's all it takes
to start building the kind of consistent spiritual
habit that produces real growth. Get started
in the Psalms of Hope devotional study today
by going online to livingontheedge .org. Just
search for Psalms of Hope. Every resource we
create depends on the faithful support of listeners
like you. When you give to Living on the Edge,
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P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You
can also call 888 - Well, now once again, here's
Chip. You know, if I ask you over a cup of coffee
today, would you like to stay stagnant? I mean,
you don't want to grow. Don't want your marriage
to grow. Don't want your relationship to Christ
to grow. Don't want any of your kids to grow.
You've sort of arrived at a place in your work
and you think, you know, I'd like to be here
the rest of my life. What would you say? Well,
you'd laugh at me, wouldn't you? You'd say, of
course I want to grow. Well, let's talk very
candidly about what growth is going to look like
in your life. It has to begin with getting the
end in view. If you live week to week, day to
day, you will get in a rut. It's human nature.
You must get the end in view. The key to motivation
is getting that target, who you want to become,
who you long to be. It starts with the end in
view. And then second, you know what? It doesn't
happen automatically. It demands a personal commitment.
Now, I'm not trying to get you to rev up your
emotions and say, okay, I'm going to try really
hard, really, really hard. And then two, three
or four days from now or a week from now, you're
right back where you were. Let me share a concept
that I alluded to. Growing isn't so much about
what you're going to do today. Growing is thinking
differently. It's who am I going to become today?
I recently did something with our staff, and
what I told them was, too many people live with
a to -do list. And I challenged our staff, don't
start with a to -do list. Start with a to -grow
list. And what I told them, I've actually done
this over the years, is I start every week with
a to -grow list. Where do I want to grow? And
I think, okay, if I'm going to grow in my relationship
with God, then I plug that in. Okay, these mornings,
I'm going to study the Bible, and I'm going to
pray. afternoon, I'm going to spend that time
with my wife. I want it to grow in my marriage.
I'm going to grow intellectually, and so I've
got a list of books that I'm going to read. Now,
none of these things are going to accomplish
any of this week's objectives. What it accomplishes
is making me more and more the man I believe
God wants me to be. Now, I plug all that in first,
and here's the deal. I've got to get my to -do
list done, and so do you. But when I plug in
the to -grow list and then build my to -dos around
that, You know what happens next month? I'm a
little bit different person. Next year, I'm even
a more different person. I want to challenge
you. What would it look like to make a to -grow
list? What one area do you know God wants you
to grow? God, show me where and how you want
me to grow. Come up with a plan, not to accomplish,
but to grow. And you're going to see some exciting
things happen. Ready to become a progressive
risk taker for God? I'm Dave Drewy, inviting
you to discover what that means next time on
Living on the Edge. Today's program is produced
and sponsored by Living on the Edge.