Get Off the Hamster Wheel

Someday, you have to make a decision. Truth is, I absolutely do not like making tough decisions. I like to leave that up to others. It isn’t that I don’t have an opinion, I believe that sometimes, I don’t trust my opinion.  The reality is that’s almost comical because I know that voice of God. I know that my discernment is typically on point. But I question it. I question it because I don’t always feel worthy enough to have that connection with Him. (That’s a different story for a different day.)

I know that He has been preparing me for a mandatory decision that I need to make to be aligned with what He has mapped out for my life. But I have been avoiding it. Avoidace caused stagnation. Stagnation in growth. Stagnation is a dangerous state to stay in.

It isn’t that I want to necessarily be stagnant. I felt like I was moving and doing things to prove that I was productive, that I was growing, that I was good. Constantly moving, but not making any progress. Overwhelmed with fatigue, with no results to show for it.

What if the key to getting off the hamster wheel is to make a hard decision to do something different? Maybe, you know there is more for you professionally, but you’re afraid to risk moving to that new city where a better opportunity lies. Or you may be comfortable in a relationship that is dysfunctional, and you’re trying your best to make it work, but you know you’re better off walking away. You are on the hamster wheel.

The hamster wheel is meant to keep you busy. I watched a video of three hamsters on a wheel. Occasionally one would fall off but would hop back on. They may get off to eat a bit or take a nap, then hop back on. They do the exact same thing every single day. Nothing changes. They run the wheel.

You’re exhausted with no results to show for your constant movement because you have been on the hamster wheel. What would it take for you to get to the place where you know that you need to hop off? What is the straw that will break the camel’s back? What does God have to allow to happen for you to make the decision. He desires for us to move forward in this life. He has called us to do great things with the gifts He has given to us.

When we find ourselves in a place of being stagnant, we have to ask ourselves, “What do I need to do to get out of this space?” Sometimes the tough decision to move forward hurts. It is hard to make tough decisions. It is uncomfortable. It may cause a shifting in things, people, and places close to us. We may have reposition and it could possibly cause a change in relationships with people we love and care for. But could discomfort for a season to readjust be a small price to pay for being who God has called you to be? Or being where He desires to use you?

Pray. Ask the Lord to show you exactly where You are. Are you running in place? Busy with no progression? If you’re tired and exhausted, you may on the hamster wheel. It’s time to get off.