FULLTANK 3085: Why Some People Stay Stuck for 38 Years

0:00Sometimes the prison is not around you, it is within you. When I was in Indonesia, I wrote an elephant for the first time. Oh, what an experience to be on top of that magnificent animal. But here's what amazed me. How could a six-ton beast be held captive by a flimsy rope tied to its gigantic foot all he had to do was sneeze? And the rope would snap. But like a tiny puppy, the elephant would just stay there, held by that tiny rope. Later I found out why. You see, when the elephant was a tiny baby, that rope was strong enough to hold him captive. At the beginning, little jumbo pulled and pulled and pulled against the rope, but all in vain. Finally, the baby elephant concluded that all effort was useless. So even when he grew in size and power, and can actually now cut that rope with a careless jerk, it won't.

1:09Why? Because the rope isn't tied to its body, its rope is tied to its mind. This phenomenon is called learned helplessness, and it doesn't only happen to elephants. It also happens to human beings. After many failed attempts, we give up and we blame the rope for our misery. What are the ropes in your life? Remember, it's not tied to your body. It's tied to your mind. So you cannot untie it in reality without untying it in your mind first. You can do that only through the opposite of learned helplessness, which is learned power. God has supplied you the power to change your life. You just have to discover it within you. Yes, God is the source of all blessings, but listen well. God's infinite blessings flows through a channel, and one of his major channels is your ability to decide,

2:17because God works through your choices. In today's Gospel, Jesus meets a man who has been sick for 38 years. Imagine that. For almost four decades, he had lived in the same condition, decide the same pool with the same excuse. I have no one to put me into the pool. Maybe he was telling the truth, but maybe something else was also true. He had gotten used to being stuck. That is why Jesus asked him a shocking question. Do you want to be well? At first that question sounds unnecessary, right? Of course he wants healing, but I think Jesus was probing deeper. After 38 years, his body was not the only thing paralyzed. His thinking may have been paralyzed too. Some people have been hurt for so long that they no longer imagine joy. Some people have failed so often, they stop trying.

3:21Some people have lived in sin for so long that they think freedom is impossible. Some people have stayed in fear that fear already feels normal. Maybe the rope in your life is not outside you. Maybe it is inside you. And today, Jesus is asking him, do you want to be well? Because before Jesus changes your situation, He often challenges the mindset that keeps you there. My brother, my sister, don't just surrender your weakness to God. Surrender also your excuses, your labels, your false belief. Surrender the story that says, oh, this is all I'll ever be. And then listen to the voice of Jesus when he says rise. Take up your man. Walk. That command is also a gift. Because when Jesus calls you to rise, He also gives you the grace to do it. So today, break the rope, not by your own strength,

4:23but by the power that God is giving you today. You are more freed and you think you are. You are more loved than you think you are. And by God's grace, you are stronger than the lies that have kept you stuck. Here's my question. Please answer in the comments below. What rope has been holding you back for many years? Write it in the comments. We're going to be praying for each other before we do. If you want to grow deeper, not only in your faith, but also in your financial life, I invite you to join us in our live seminars through the truly rich club. We want to help you learn practical wisdom on money, investing, business, and creating a better future for your family. Just go to trc.ph slash events and join us in one of our live seminars. I hope to see you there. Come let us bring in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

5:26Jesus, show me the ropes that are holding me back. He'll not only my wounds heal my mind. Teach me to correct helplessness. Teach me to learn to use your power at work in my life. Give me the courage to make the right choices with your power in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. Once again, if you want to grow in financial wisdom, financial abundance, financial freedom, come and join our live seminars. Go to trc.ph slash events. This is both Sanchez in full tank. I will see you tomorrow. Hey, thank you so much for being part of this podcast by listening, by subscribing,

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