Follow the Examples of Those Who Have Overcome Obstacles
There are great stories in the Bible of people overcoming obstacles. Think of Zaccheus who was short and scaled a tree to see Jesus or the blind man who yelled “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” They didn’t let their obstacles get in their way of getting to Jesus. We need to possess the same desire. Too often we let the slightest obstruction get in the way of our walk with Christ. We can overcome these obstacles.
1 John 5:3-5
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Don’t Get Tripped Up
Obstacles can be something as small as a mean look or hurtful comment from someone, or it can be destructive like an addiction. All of these have a possibility of obstructing our faith. They can get our mind off of the love of Jesus and onto our problems. From there, we become consumed with the obstacle and miss out on all that Christ is doing in our life.
Already Victorious
We have already overcome the world through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. From there, our job is to be obedient to his word. The victory has come not through our will power but our faith. Our belief in Jesus brings victory to our life. We are overcomers. We continue to walk in that victory through obedience.
Moving Beyond the Hurt
When someone hurts us, the Bible tells us to forgive them and to love them. It may be hard to overcome our feelings, but when we do, we experience victory over the mental game. For obstacles like addiction, the path is much more difficult. It necessitates the involvement of many people who will walk with you through the process.
Get in the Game
Whatever obstacles that are keeping you from following Christ it is time to remove them. There are too many Christians who are sidelined from God’s work because of these obstacles. Take action today. Recognize the obstacles in your prayer time. Ask for forgiveness for letting them distract you, then start on the path of obedience. You will find that over time, with practice, you will start to see progress in your heart.