Have you ever wondered how one can go from super-confident about a new idea, to completely deflated in a short space of time? We picture the fulfilment of the idea we have in our mind’s eye, yet when we take one step, the obstacles line up.
One of the consequences of living in a fallen world is that our purpose now has a specific hurdle assigned to it.
Adam and Eve were told to multiply and fill the earth. The babies would obviously come through Eve who had the womb. Undoubtedly, the process would have been smooth sailing had they not sinned. Her specific purpose wasn’t lost in the fall, but it now had the obstacle of great pain and labour.
Adam was meant to look after and nurture the garden. They were to eat freely of every fruit and seed bearing plant. After the fall, he was still able to look after the land and eat from it but the obstacle of thorns and weeds showed up. It also now required sweat. Something that would have been pure joy became a challenging experience- and it still is.
Abraham was called to be the father of many nations but had problems fathering the one child.
Jesus was sent to save the world but the world rejected Him.
Whatever your purpose is, there is an obstacle that is specific for it; enough to stop you from fulfilling it if you permit it. It is essential to know your purpose and to know its corresponding obstacle.
Deception is having access to that which helps us navigate challenges yet refusing to use it. Thy word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 The word of God illuminates your path so that you can navigate the obstacles.
Once I understood this, I stopped comparing my situation to others’. I stopped the mental bargaining- “if only I had more money, more contacts, a different location, things will improve.” The truth is there are hurdles on my path that are specific to my journey. I cannot cherry pick other people’s situation and assume each won’t come with its own problems. I also now know that just because I face a difficult challenge, it does not mean that God isn’t involved. The same way the trees carried on bearing fruit for man to feed on, is the same way every dream comes with the power to be fulfilled. The presence of that power does not mean the absence of the challenge.
I share this for that woman or man that is discouraged because everything they try their hands at appears to fail. There are obstacles, but you can over come or navigate around them.
