Stopping the Downward Spiral

“What is the number one catalyst for change?  It’s action.  Understanding may be able to change minds, but action changes lives.  If you take action, it will change your life. And that change will begin changing others.” _John Maxwell, Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters

Stagnation, slow death, no growth, downward spiral…

These are all such demoralizing terms and I’ve been there.

How do you pull out of a downward spiral? How do you turn things around?

I’ll give you the answer in two words: Take action.

This is not just theory to me.

There was a time that my wife and I were drifting dangerously apart and our marriage was dying.

There was a time that debt and unwise management of my finances was eating me alive.

When I arrived, virtually every church that I pastored was at a low point and on a downward trajectory.

Somehow, by the grace of God, in these situations and so many more, I managed to turn things around. I have no cookie-cutter pattern or program that you can repeat. Every situation is different.

But this I know, if you do nothing the downward spiral to death will continue.

The ONE THING for today: You don’t have to know how to turn things around, but you do have to do something to turn things around. So ask yourself, what is the wisest thing I can do right now, and then do it. If that doesn’t work, then do the next wisest thing. And keep at it until you muddle through to victory.

Something I’ve learned, there is always a path out of the downward spiral that leads to life and new beginnings.

Don’t lose heart.

Don’t give up.