A definition of traction is the support or interest that is needed for something to make progress
or succeed.
I was making good traction over the last several weeks
in my work, in my health, and in my small group I lead with my husband, but
then out of what seemed to be nowhere, I lost my traction in all areas of my
life. I felt as if I was making great progress but then it seemed as if I was
going backwards. No matter what I did, I could not get my traction back. This
lose of traction has been going on for a little over a week, so I decided to
step back and seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as to what appears to me going
backwards instead of forward.
Key
points to why you may lose traction when you are making progress:
1. You
have an enemy, he hates your progress and will use any scheme, person, or parts
of your past to derail and sabotage your forward progress.
2. If
you stop and stare to long at what
the enemy is showing or speaking to you, it will be a matter of time that you
will begin agreeing with those lies, magnifications, and vain imaginations. The
enemy is a master of distraction. Distraction causes you to lose traction because
you stop and look and get your focus on what the enemy is showing you.
3. Not
feeling physically well can cause you to lose your traction. If you are not physically
strong most likely you will not be able to keep going at the rate you were
going before you got sick.
4. Feeling
overwhelmed, stressed, fearful or disappointed over circumstances. These can
weigh you down and you can lose your motivation to continue making progress.
5. Reliving
past failures or experiences. You may begin to have thoughts like, “That failed
before, so it probably won’t work this time either.” This is called stinkin’
thinkin’ and can cause one to completely lose any traction or forward progress
in one’s life.
How
to gain your traction back and move forward:
1. Identity
what may have caused you to lose your traction: schemes of the enemy, sickness,
stinkin’ thinkin’, fear, reliving your past failures.
2. Recognize
that if you are making any attempts to grow in your relationship with God or
allowing God to use you in some way, the enemy will try and thwart your
progress. Ask God to strengthen you as opposition and resistance have come your
way. Don’t agree with any lies, half-truths or vain imaginations the enemy would
send your way. Get daily into the Word of God and allow the truth to saturate
your thinking.
3. Take
every thought captive into the obedience of Christ. This will take discipline,
but choose to take every thought that is contrary to the Word of God and speak
life and faith over yourself.
4. Keep
taking steps forward even when you don’t feel like it, eventually you will get
your traction back instead of wallowing in your lack of progress.
5. If
you have been battling some sort of illness, take the necessary time to heal and
restore. Do not beat yourself up for needing to take some time to recover. When
you are better, pick up where you left off. This may mean taking a day,
half-day or longer if needed to properly recover.
Don’t quit or give up when you have been knocked off
course, identify what may have caused it, and then take the steps that you need
to get back on track. Everyone has moments in life that they lose their stem,
just don’t allow those moments to cause you to believe that you always be in
that state.
Thanks for this, Stephanie. ALL of this was so very good for my eyes to see and my heart to hear.
ReplyDeleteI am aware that I have lost my traction but had no idea, before reading this, what to do about it.
God Bless you for sharing your wisdom with us.
Mary as always I am blessed and delighted by your comments. May the Lord bless you with in all that you do.
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