Remove the Stumbling Block

As I think about this topic my mind races back to a pathetic story in the Bible. It is the story of a man called Amasa who King David gave an assignment to get his troops ready for an emergency attack against a rebel. For some unknown reason, he delayed and King David delegated another officer to carry out the charge. On the way, they met Amasa, as he was coming to appear before the King.

Unfortunately for him, he was craftily killed by another officer called Joab. As the troops got to where the fallen officer was wallowing in his blood, they stood still. Their attention and sympathy was drawn towards this fallen hero and so they couldn’t move forward. They were on national assignment but couldn’t continue because their attention was arrested by the dead. To enable them move forward the officer on duty removed the dead body from the way and covered it. After this the troops were back on course, carried out their mission successfully and returned to the King. (See 2kings 20)

The road to success is full of stumbling blocks and obstacles. Some are designed to defocus us while others are designed to frustrate us. We are on destiny journey and have been equipped by God with all the requirements for achieving success. But if we don’t take care of obstacles and other distractions on the way we will never become all we were created to be. No one should ever think there wouldn’t be obstacles on the way to achieving success. The good news is the obstacles cannot stop you except you allow them.

There are roadblocks we must deal with if we want to achieve great results and become all that God created us to be. First is mental roadblock. Sometimes the greatest obstacle to success is the mind- how we think. If we are not thinking well, we can’t live well. This is because our thoughts determine our actions and inactions. Our actions and inactions invariably determine our destiny. Success belongs to the innovative and the creative. Our mind is the greatest asset we have and until we begin to deploy it we will remain stagnant.

It is sad to note that majority of people don’t think at all. They live their lives like zombies. A statistic has it that of all humans only 5% think, 15% think they are thinking but are not and 80% will rather die than think. Isn’t that revealing, particularly when you consider that about 95% of the world’s wealth is being controlled by about 5% of the world’s population? Only people who use their brains will be qualified to attain great heights in life.

Another roadblock is emotional immaturity. Our emotions are a precious gift from God. Without emotions, we are deprived of the energy and fortitude to attempt great things and undergo rigorous challenges. But emotional immaturity can hinder us and keep us stagnant. Impatience, outbursts of anger, bitterness and the like will impede on our success drive. We cannot harbour these dysfunctional traits and maximize our lives. We must let them off so as to go ahead.

Next is spiritual emptiness. Many are spiritually empty and that invariably accounts for most dysfunctional lives. We cannot succeed in life without divine input. Many live as if all that life has to offer is what they can see. They fail to realise that everything we can see is temporal. It is only what we don’t see that is permanent. God’s presence makes all the difference. With Him on your side victory is assured. Knowing God is the greatest thing that can happen to anyone. It is the key to lasting success.

As the year gradually winds up, it is important to ensure you make peace with God. This you do by allowing Him to direct and control your life. This is just a logical decision since He made you in the first place. It is only normal for you to allow Him have His property back to Himself. His presence will make the difference.