MAN... or mouse?

Wisdom says...

Failure to learn from our mistakes is like being on hamster wheel; we exhaust ourselves, but remain in the same place!..vds

Have you ever known someone (maybe yourself) that keeps doing the same thing over and over and you wonder why they don't "get it"?  Have you seen someone get hurt over and over by the same people or circumstance that devastated them last time?  What exactly is the problem?

Story: Many of you know from my previous posts that I was an emotional wreck due to past abuse/misuse and had a lot of problems with my relationships. Over the years, I have spoken with countless women with similar issues and hangups.  They want success in life and relationships, but cannot attain it. They can't figure out why they end up with yet another knucklehead or why people continue to use/misuse them.  Not long ago, after hearing the same type of story for the (for the #th time) I asked, "when are you gonna get off the wheel"?  They had no more answer than I did when "I" was on the wheel.  We put so much time and effort into things and people that continually disappoint and devastate us.  We end up being exhausted, feeling worse, and trusting less.  Ultimately we end up inside a box (much like the hamster), unable to move out of that "space". 

So...how do we get off the wheel and out of the cage that binds us up and keeps us stagnated?  We have to come to the realization that we are men or mankind (not mice) that are not designed to be relegated to a finite space.  Also, we must decide that our efforts should bear us fruit, not exhaustion. If the cost of doing a thing is greater than the benefit, perhaps we should opt out.  Consider this...only a fool makes a deposit at a bank that is no longer open.

Q: Have you been "spinning your wheels" or "on the wheel" of perpetual failure in relationships or some other area?  What are you willing to do to begin to move forward? Maybe you are off the wheel now.  What other strategies might one use to get off (and remain off)?

Prayer: Lord help us identify the areas in our lives in which we are on the wheel and give us the knowledge and ability needed to get off, so that we might enlarge our territory.


For more information...read "Romans" chapter 7