God's Obstacle Course

I wanted to share something with my readers that has significantly changed my perspective on the challenges I'm facing in my life right now.  We've often heard it said that God doesn't put no more on us than what we can bear.  I'd like to challenge that way of thinking tonight. 

Obstacle courses are designed to build strength, endurance and character.  For example, in the military and sports, obstacle courses are designed to develop and prepare soldiers and athletes to endure strenuous physical activity.  Each part of the course is designed to develop a certain skill, endurance level and physical ability.  Pariticipants continue to chart the course until they've completed each section with timed precision. When they've mastered the course, they are deemed ready to fulfill their mission.  The obstacles are not intended to stop them from fulfilling the goal, but rather to ensure that they are fully capable of fulfilling the goal. 

God has designed an obstacle course tailored-made for me - and you.  Every challenge we face is uniquely designed to strengthen our character, promote growth and maturity, and to equip us to live the abundant life.  The obstacles come not to descourage or to destroy us, but to train us to get better and better each time we encounter one.

The idea is that each time we encounter a problem, to determine what is it that's preventing us from moving forward.  Once we identify the source of opposition, then we can begin to pray and ask God for wisdom to move around it.  You see, what usually happens is we encounter an obstacle and immediately we think we're doing the wrong thing - that we didn't hear God when things don't work out.  The truth is, when you run into an obstacle/opposition, it's most likely because you are doing the right thing, rather than the wrong thing.  Just because we meet with a challenge doesn't mean we're outside of the will of God.

If there is an obstacle that you seem to encounter over and over again, and you can't seem to get beyond it, then it's probably because you're not going about it the right way - perhaps not God's way.  There's probably a better way to do it.  Remember His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  Ask God how you should go about it.

Instead of responding to obstacles with "I can't do it," let's ask the question, "How can I do it?"  Instead of "I don't have the money," ask "How can I get the money?"  Don't give up because something seems hard.  Let's keep our hands to the plow and not look back.  All things are possible with God!!