Through it we go

If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. (Frank A. Clark) 

The Lord is making roads through the sea. He is making a path for his people, even through rough waters. (Isaiah 43:16)

The obstacles one faces in life can sometimes be a little overwhelming - even to the point we want to find another path or just plain give up entirely. The good news is that the path God prepares may not be obstacle free, but it is prepared, provisioned, and protected. Prepared by the hand of God. Provisioned with his grace and strength. Protected by his mighty armies in high places, even when we cannot see his protection!

The path without obstacles is really not all that great! The obstacles are what brings out the character of God within our lives. Those obstacles actually show us how dependent we are upon ourselves to remove each and every one of them in our own power or strength. It is when we realize they are bigger or more numerous than we can 'deal with' on our own that we see our greatest need of God's presence and provision. 

A new year may present many new paths for us to consider, with some being much better for us to pursue than others. Remember, God isn't finished with our character development yet, so the path we take may just have a few choice obstacles that will uncover something deeply buried within us that needs to be brought to the surface. Rather than avoid the 'unwelcome obstacle', we might do well to ask God what the purpose of it actually is right now. It could be God is about to remove it but not before we get the entire 'value' out of it.

The Lord is making the road, and it goes 'through something', not just around it! We might just look for the ones that 'go around' those tough things, but he prepares the one that goes smack-dab through it! Even though the waters are higher than we want, the waves stronger than we can handle alone, and the current beckoning us to take a different path, he has prepared it, provisioned us, and will protect us THROUGH it. Just sayin!

Don't versus Do

I once saw a sign that read, "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off your goal." I think of it a bit differently: "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off of your God." God says, "If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered..." (Ezekial 3:20)

Obstacles are part of life, but did you ever consider that they could be put there by God to keep us on a righteous path? Ignore them long enough and the path you take could be totally 'out of sync' with the path God has called us to walk. By definition, any obstacle is meant to act as a hindrance to going a certain way or doing a certain thing. It should present some form of 'disincentive' to choosing that route. 

Righteous people can ignore God's 'obstacles' - the things he clearly puts in our path that act as 'disincentives' for taking another path. Are all obstacles meant to keep us 'on the straight and narrow' then? I don't think the ones our enemy puts in our path are meant to do that, but the ones God puts there to help us make better choices are. How do we tell the difference between the two? This is where learning how God moves, acts, and what he desires comes in. We have to know his heart in order to clearly recognize the difference between an obstacle meant to help us and one meant to trap us or trip us up.

If we look closely at our passage today, we see that God loves us enough to give us 'roadblocks' against wrong behaviors. Instead of looking at every 'barrier' as a thing that interferes with our progress, we may begin to see them as the very things that help us make progress in the right direction. God's 'obstacles' don't lure us down a path - the clearly illuminate the path that should be taken and the one that should be avoided. What might some of these roadblocks or obstacles be? 

Perhaps it is a feeling that the path you are about to choose is 'just not right' - something just 'bugs' you when you consider choosing it. Maybe it is the words of a trusted companion in this walk who helps you see there are really two paths marked out - one much better than the other. Or could it be that a passage comes to mind from scripture, or a few words from a recent sermon, causing you to pause, consider, and choose wisely? Regardless of what God uses to help us choose the righteous path, the choice to follow it is ours. Just sayin!

Agile and Aware

“I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” (John 8:12)

If you have ever hit your toe on some object while stumbling around in the dark, you know how much pain a tiny 'mess-up' like that can result in. In some moment of "altered alertness" you came into full contact with that inanimate object - never intending to, but regardless of your intent, it happened. We "almost" avoided the contact - just a small margin of error - not a huge deviation from course - just a tiny margin resulted in such significant pain. Sometimes the "errors" we experience in life that cause us more than a little pain are not the result of  a "huge" margin of error, but "smaller margins" of error - we call them compromises. We often "stumble" where there is no light! The truth is: We NEED light! Nothing dispels darkness other than light.

Jesus said he is the world's light - no one following him will stumble around in the dark. There is plenty of light in his pathway. So, why do we still experience "margins of error" which cause us so much pain in life? I think it is more likely our level of 'altered alertness' which gives us more concern - not the degree of light we have been given. My attention gets diverted because I am intent on something else. I engage my mind in the 'thing' I am intent on, not on the obstacles in my path. In trying to focus so intently on the 'thing', I exclude the 'awareness' I have to the very things which would bring me harm. This is the case with the things bringing pain into our lives through our 'altered alertness' in relationships, business dealings, finances, spiritual growth, etc. We likely know the path is riddled with these obstacles, but we are so intent on something else, we 'collide' with the obstacles instead of avoiding them!

Did you ever stop to consider what alertness means? In the simplest terms it means to be "fully aware" and attentive. We have a similar word in our English language - when we say we are "keenly" aware of our surroundings, we are implying we are "attentive". One of the very 'telling' signs of our level of alertness is our ability to be agile. Agility of mind helps us choose direction, while the agility of body helps us correct course quickly. In the same way, when we are "agile" in spirit, we often avoid the collision course with the compromises which will bring us much pain. We have been given plenty of light, but we also have to exercise a degree of alertness in order to be "agile" - responsive to warning signs and the ability to make course corrections which will keep us from experiencing the collision course! Sometimes I think we demand more light when all we really need is a little more attentiveness to the light we have been given. Just sayin!

You don't need a new lampshade

All of us need to be 'set straight' from time to time - some of us more frequently than others. I have a lampshade in the house that seems to always be askew, no matter how many times I make those adjustments, I will return to find it is somehow out of whack again. I could just toss the thing and start from scratch, but it is a perfectly good lampshade! Why would I get a new one? Well, some would think the straightening was not worth the hassle, while others would see the shade as defective. Too many times, I think we see the obstacle and give up on it rather than dealing with it. I guess some may flee when obstacles stand in their way, but I tend to see the obstacle as just another bump in the road!

I've already run for dear life straight to the arms of God. So why would I run away now...  God's business is putting things right; he loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight. Once we're standing tall, we can look him straight in the eye. (Psalm 11:1, 7)

David is being challenged to flee to the hills - run away, escape, make himself scarce - so his enemies don't overtake him, so a challenge does not overwhelm him. He has two choices - stand and face what comes his way, or flee and count on the mountains to protect him. His answer to this obstacle - he sees no sense in fleeing to the mountains. Why? God has not made his residence in the mountains, but in David's heart! The obstacles won't deter him from remembering where his help comes from.

David has put his trust in God's keeping grace - he is counting on being held in the hands of God regardless of the circumstances that are coming his way. He relates his trust in his affirmation of where it is that he has found his hope - in God's arms. Then he gives us insight into the hope he has - God is in the business of setting things right - so the solution is at hand! God not only orchestrates the situation, but he "orchestrates us" throughout that situation. He delights in setting things in order - marking out a path to follow and then walking with us along that path. For that reason alone, David will not flee when the going gets rough. For that reason alone, we should hold steady in the face of obstacles.

It is natural to desire to flee - it is part of our make-up to want to preserve what we already have found enjoyment in - to not want things to change. David says he finds great joy in keeping himself near to the heart of God. You cannot get closer to the heart of someone than being in their arms! His is not a casual relationship with God - it is one that has developed - there is evidence of intimate communion. God has drawn him near, set him upright, and now he is looking God in the eye - no shame, no fear, no barrier to intimate fellowship with a holy God. Why? Because God has set things right in his heart.

Herein we are given a glimpse into our choice in conflict - run and hide, or stand and be strong in the power of the Lord. I'd like to think we'd all choose the latter, but I know the reality of our fickle emotions - we sometimes run! When we find ourselves ready to "bolt", we would do well to ask the question: "Is God going to be more present, more available, more willing to meet with us wherever it is we are running than he is in the midst of the challenge we are facing?" If we have truly asked ourselves that question in sincerity, we likely will know the answer is "no". We can ditch the lampshade, but is that the best solution?

Running affords only a temporary escape from the present conflict. Wherever we go, conflict inevitably will occur. There is really no escape - just a chance to face what "giants" lie before us and take them on in the power found in relying on his grace to get us through. Running is a means of "going around" what gives us concern - rather than facing it head on. God's method of dealing with the obstacle is to face things head on. So, whatever the challenge today - whatever the conflict or obstacle you face - run to the arms of Jesus first. There you will find all you need for the way to be made straight, with your own life ordered in such a way that you will be able to face the challenge ahead. Just sayin!

Okay, let's be honest here...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

 (Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT)

Anyone ever ask you what "trips you up" the easiest in this life? I'd say one of the things that trips me up the easiest is fatigue - when I get tired enough, I lose patience, make hasty decisions, and can even say things I'd have done better to have kept to myself. Along with fatigue, there are lots and lots of things that "trip us up", but to name a few:

- Boredom leads us into doing things we'd normally have the "will-power" to avoid. We find ourselves seeking out things we'd normally not view, getting into places we'd not normally go, and pursuing things we usually don't go after because we know them to be "wrong" or "not good for us".

- Fear keeps us from taking steps into obedience that we know we are called to take, but we just cannot take the first step because we are paralyzed by the unknown standing in our way.

- Loneliness can open doors, but they may not be the right ones to have opened for us. The sense of loneliness can compel us past "obstacles" we find in our path, only to find out those obstacles were meant to keep us safe, not act as hurdles to jump over.

- Pride gets us into trouble so many times because it keeps us from backing down when we know full-well we would be better off to admit our mistakes and just own up to whatever is coming next. It gets our dander up, keeps us committed to stuff just because we won't be known as a "quitter", and it gets us into deep waters that threaten to be our undoing simply because we thought we knew better than everyone else.

- Apathy doesn't really "trip us up" as much as it keeps us from ever taking the steps in the right direction in the first place. Apathy is best described as indifference - we just don't give a hoot anymore and it shows in our attitude toward things that once mattered. Although it may not be much of a "tripping point", it definitely is an obstacle we need to overcome in order to move on.

These are just a few of the things that can trip us up, weigh us down, and present many an obstacle in our path. Another big one is this not so little thing known as unforgiveness. While it isn't the most common thing to trip us up, once it does, it is harder and harder to get around it. It has a continual "tripping effect" that just keeps springing up in our path, causing us to stumble upon it each and every time. Unforgiveness is like an unseen obstacle, but it is evident in all we do and say - for it comes across in the callousness of attitude toward the other, or the determination to get vengeance that seethes just beneath the surface.

While none of these are actual "anchors" that need to hold us in place forever, they are formidable forces that present obstacles in our midst. To be free of these, we need to be comfortable "getting naked", for to "strip off" what weighs us down and presents these "tripping points" in life, we have to be willing to let God and others see what is really there in our lives. This is why we so easily stumble sometimes - we aren't willing to ask for help to be free of what presents such a formidable "tripping point". No one walks upright for very long without tripping up at some point. We are all human - therefore we all fall on occasion - even the most "stable" of us! To be truthful about what it is that is an obstacle or weight we need to be free of for good, we need to be willing to let others see us "as we are". It is called vulnerability, my friends - maybe the biggest hurdle we will ever overcome in our effort to be free of sin in our lives. Just sayin!

An opportunity in our midst

I once heard it said, "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal".  I think Henry Ford may have been the originator of this quote.  There is some wisdom in this statement as we all seem to lose focus on the mission, if even for a temporary span of time, when we get wrapped up in the obstacles in our midst.  Booker T. Washington said, "Success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as by the obstacles he has overcome."  An obstacle is anything or anyone that "obstructs" our vision, progress, or stand.  It almost blocks our passage from one point to the other.  If you are like me, these are annoyances which you "deal with" and then move on.  I sometimes "paint myself into a corner", then am left trying to figure a way out.  How about you?  The truth is, there has never been an obstacle (or a corner) which God has not been there with the wisdom to help me through it (or around it).

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)

Paul is so awesomely correct in his perception of how we feel and what it is we are perceiving in life when obstacles riddle our pathway - it LOOKS like everything is falling apart on us.  Yet, it is on the inside where we need to keep our focus - not on the external evidences of obstacles!  The inside is where God is at work - where his grace and wisdom give us the ability to overcome the obstacles in our midst (or find a way out of the corner we are in).  Even the ability to see an obstacle is a measure of God's grace.  If you don't believe me, consider just how many times you DIDN'T stub your toe on the dresser instead of the one time you did!

The evidence of obstacles in our lives is not evidence of God's displeasure with us - they are a means of discovering greater depths in his love, protection and grace.  Those very things which seem to be our greatest challenges are really the things which will produce the greatest growth in our lives.  We SEE the obstacle - God sees the opportunity.  I would like to challenge us to begin to equate "obstacle" with the word "opportunity".  When we pair these two together, we might just come to the place of developing a different perspective of the thing which causes us so great a degree of distress.

God's intention is never to allow an obstacle so great HE cannot overcome it in our lives.  I think we get it all wrong when we thing WE have to overcome the obstacles ourselves.  Every obstacle is God's opportunity - it is his chance to connect a little more of his grace with our need.  God sees the obstacle as a temporary "stoppage" - not a full "blockage".  When we get "stopped" in the our path by the obstacle, we are just at a place of inactivity - we cannot move forward as we'd have liked to.  When we are "blocked" from making progress, it is with intent.  When a stop light creates a "stoppage" of traffic, it is to facilitate the safety of those who must turn at a certain intersection, or traverse in the opposite direction of the other traffic.  When a police officer puts up a road-block, it is to keep traffic out because a certain pathway has been declared unsafe for passage.  By the blockage, we are diverted away from hazards unknown.  What appeared as an obstacle actually becomes a means of ensuring our safety down the road.

When we begin to see obstacles, we usually engage in some "self-talk".  We think things like, "Now why did I get myself into this mess?" or "What on earth was I thinking?"  We ask the "why" and "how come" questions a lot.  It is almost like we immediately assume the place of being a "victim" when we are faced with the obstacle.  Why is it in my path right now?  How come I couldn't have avoided this hurdle?  Why is it I always run into this kind of stuff when I try to make any forward progress with God?  And the list goes on.  We need to learn how to "talk to" the obstacles in our midst instead of talking "about" them!  

The truth be told, some obstacles are there by our own doing - others because another places them there.  Those which our own doing often come with other types of "compounding obstacles" such as guilt or shame.  Those which are the doing of another may also have their "compounding obstacles" such as anger or resentment.  It is amazing to me how many times one small obstacle becomes a bigger one just by the "compounding obstacles" we introduce into the mix.  The "shift" in seeing an obstacle as an opportunity may just help us not "add to" the obstacle in our midst by keeping us away from the negative self-talk and the introduction of those compounding obstacles!  Just sayin!