Are You Caught in a Crab Bucket?

Crab fisherman have long known they don't need to put a lid on their crab bucket, as long as there is more than one crab. When there are several crabs in the bucket, if one tries to crawl out, the other crabs grab hold and pull it back down. Some call it the Crab Bucket Syndrome.

Some of us desire to climb above, raise our standards and improve ourselves, but Satan, and those who belong to him, act like crabs in a bucket. They do everything in their power to destroy the ambitions of those who wish to better themselves. Sadly, these grab and hold techniques often work among us humans, too.

As Christians, it's often our thoughts that catch us, put us in a bucket. What crabs are holding you back from improving your life? These crabs come in thoughts like

• I don't have any time to spend with God and his word today.


• Does God really hear my prayers? It seems like he's not answering.


• Living the Christian life doesn't pay-off here on earth.


• Things will never change for me, anyway.

Faithful Christians pray and believe God no matter how they feel or what things look like. Don't let these crabby negative thoughts keep you in a bucket of mediocrity. Therefore, my dear friends, continue to work out your salvation every day with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:12-13). How do we work out our salvation? Follow Paul's advice that follows these verses in Philippians. Do everything without complaining or arguing (boy, that's a tough one), so that we can become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which we shine like stars in the universe.

Start shining today and escape the grabs, the holds, and the bucket.