How to Make a Spiritual U-Turn
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I woke up in the wrong lane this morning.
Okay, I’d theoretically shaken off the slumber in bed a couple of hours earlier…. but at some point, I got in my car fully clothed and was apparently sleep driving. I backed out of the driveway with my eyes open, but my mind was in La-la land.
I floated along in a state of semi-conscious awareness till I reached the end of the block and exited my neighborhood. I should have made a right and kept on driving, but somehow I shuffled 3 lanes to the left and got stuck in a turn lane to nowhere.
That’s when I woke up. How did I get here?
In my mental fog, I must have blindly followed the car in front of me.
Has this ever happened to you? I confess that I often end up lost, and not just when I am sitting behind the wheel of my car.
For example, next week is October. I find myself wondering “How did I end up here?” as the asphalt of months fades in my mental rear-view mirror. Wasn’t this going to be the year where I got my act together? I had goals. I even wrote them down. (Remind me to find those this weekend when I get a free minute.)
Here’s the thing, maybe like me you are feeling a bit turned around and heading in the wrong direction right now. Maybe you’ve gotten distracted and failed to stay in the right lane.
I’ve got good news for you though. God allows U-turns.
How to Make a Spiritual U-Turn
- Signal to Stop: Ask God to wake you up and help you to hit a red light in your soul when you are heading in the wrong direction (I Corinthians 15:33-34, NIV).
- Slow Down and Yield: Life is not a competitive NASCAR race. Put on the brakes and pull out the holy road manual. It’s okay if you let people whiz by you while you tune into the GPS in your Spirit. (James 3:13-17, NLT).
- Turn Against the Flow of Traffic: Not everyone on the road is heading where you are, and some drivers are on a dead-end highway. A sharp turn in the opposite direction of the oncoming traffic will require you to be brave. Don’t hesitate. Just ask Jesus to take the wheel if you need a little extra help (II Corinthians 7:8-10, MSG).
- Keep Your Eyes on the Road: Don’t get distracted. Keep moving forward on the road He’s set before you. (Proverbs 4:23-27, MSG).
No matter how long you’ve traveled in the wrong direction, you can always turn around. The light of His grace will signal the way.
Yes! You can always turn around! Some of my days require multiple u-turns before I get going in the right direction!! Blessings!
Thanks for hosting, Lyli, and for sharing such wise words. We have probably all had to make more than a few of those spiritual U-turns. I know I have!
LOVE the spiritual U-turn thoughts! Great job of applying each of the steps for making a U-turn–your post is accessible, approachable, and best of all true!
Thanks so much for hosting this link-up. I’m glad to be able to share a post with you today, and I appreciate your hospitality.
Have a wonderful week!
I’m so grateful for the grace of U-Turns!
Lyli, I wanted to grab your wheel and steer you to safety, girl! Thank goodness God is faithful to do just that…and is waaaay better at driving than you or me. 😉 He’s such a loving God to allow u-turns. Thank You, Jesus.
YES! I am praying this very thing for our nation in such a time as this! We live in God’s Grace as individuals and He does allow us to U-Turn our lives when we get off course. Our nation is off course and the teeth of the enemy is puncturing our skin. May the Holy Spirit pour out upon us to wake us, bind up our wounds, and turn our captivity that we may be the fulfillment of our much prayed for destiny, from our foundations. YOU turn us back, O Lord!
Joy!
Kathy
I have done a similar thing before, Lyli. My car tends to want to make the same turns when we’re on familiar roads so I have to pay extra attention if I want to go somewhere out of the ordinary. So thankful that God allows spiritual u-turns! Love this analogy.
I’m an absent minded driver sometimes as well. I’ve had to take many a u-turn, too, physically and spiritually!
Wonderful word, needed reminder for me today… Thank you. ~