Something always seems to be “in the way”!
This past weekend, I was in a hurry (as usual). I had my whole family in the truck and we had just left the house when I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses. Now normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but it was part of my character (costume), so I really needed them. Immediately I slowed down and pulled into this teeny tiny drive to turn around. Turning around for me is not such an easy task, my truck doesn’t turn on a dime and its wide with the dual wheels. After turning into the drive, that had ditches on both sides, I had to back straight up before I could turn the wheel so I didn’t fall into the ditch. Well, to my surprise, there was a very nice mailbox on the other side of the road directly behind my truck. Honest to goodness, I couldn’t see it! But I was backing out slowly and absolutely didn’t feel the truck touch it. When it did, the truck didn’t want to back up but there wasn’t enough room for me to turn so I had to go back further, at this point I still didn’t realize there was a mailbox behind me, I just thought there may have been some dirt piled up on the side of the road, so I gave it more gas and backed right on up! When I got turned and pulled out I looked in the rear view mirror and saw this pitiful looking mailbox distorted, leaning, and rocking back and forth!
Yes, I fixed it! for those who are wondering. But my point is this…there was an obstacle in the way of me getting turned around! All of us deal with obstacles in our life! Jesus faced many obstacles in the new testament! Which lead me to ask the question…
What do we do when something is in the way? Some overcome the obstacle, yet others turn back, give up and succumb to the fact that something stands in the way and nothing can be done.
One of the TV shows I really enjoy watching is “Man vs. Wild” with Bear Grylls. He is faced with many obstacles every where they film. This guy broke his back in 3 places, recovered, and was the youngest to climb Everest at the age of 23. Bear knows what an obstacle is and so when he tweeted one day, “Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them” I couldn’t turn it loose!
Watch this…
Obstacle is defined as something immaterial that stands in the way. Immaterial is defined as of no importance or relevance. WOW!
Some of you are faced with obstacles in your life and you just give up or go back to doing things like you have always done them, because you define your obstacle as being something in the way that is much more important and relevant than it needs to be!
Obstacles are to be overcome! Not overcome you! The physical and spiritual lives we live are full of them! Overcome them! Hebrews 4:16
When my son was faced with an obstacle on the motocross track, usually a very large threatening jump, he is nervous, scared, and confidence dwindles. But his only choice, if he wishes to compete, is to hit the jump! Almost always, after hitting the jump, he comes off the track and says, “Daddy! Daddy! did you see me hit the jump! It was awesome!” and his confidence soars.
But many of you are like the English horse and rider I saw on America’s Funniest Videos. They were navigating the course and came up on a jumping obstacle. The horse threw on the breaks, rider fell off and lay on the ground. The obstacle was in the way and they were disqualified because they couldn’t overcome it!
Most of our obstacles deal with other people, find comfort and strength in Hebrews 13:6 and overcome your obstacle rather than succumb to it!