There’s Hope in Stop It/Repent

There’s an old SNL skit with Bob Newhart as an analyst who has a two-word solution for everyone’s problems.  Whether you’re a liar, an addict, abusive, paranoid, fearful, in self-destructive relationships, or other things, his response was, “Stop it!”

He is implying that we have some sort of control over our lives and circumstances. We might not be able to change outside forces, but we can change ourselves. Think about it, Stop It is like Repent. John the Baptist and Jesus call for repentance from sin.

In Genesis 1:28 God has given us control of His creation. This goes for all believers. But we hold ourselves back due to sin in our lives. We lose hope when instead we are called to be guardians of the galaxy (okay, a bit much of a movie reference).

Adam and Eve were given a vision by God for their lives. We each must have a vision. Without a vision we are like reeds blowing every which way in the wind. People can manipulate us, our lives become split, hectic and confused. We become hopeless when we can’t achieve our goals. Frustration and regret arise at every junction. Simple obstacles become unconquerable. Others can too easily control us and stop us from moving in the right direction. Even our own actions can often contradict themselves and we are internally divided against ourselves. We can’t move forward because we don’t know what forward is or what it looks like.

However, with the leading of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can regain the enthusiasm given by God in the Garden to humankind. Paradise isn’t for sitting around doing nothing. It is for using our God-given talents to create and fulfill our visions.

So, whatever is holding you back, stop it, repent and start your vision quest.