One of the realities of ministry is that we
will face obstacles and challenges. The
question then is do these challenges stop us from what God has for us, or do we
face the challenges and move forward? Issues such as worry and doubt can become giants
that keep us from entering the blessing that God has for us and our ministry.
When we look at Numbers 13:27-32 we see spies
who allowed the limitations they saw keep them from receiving the blessing God
had for them. God sent them in to the
land to spy out what he had already promised them. Instead of realizing that God had already
given them the land, they instead respond with fear and doubt, leaving them
wandering for 40 years, never receiving what God already had given them!
The ‘giants’ we face can come in many forms,
but how we respond will determine the end result. What is keeping us from
receiving what God has already promised and given to us? What can we consider
as we face challenges?
Consider these things:
DON’T TURN
OPPORTUNITIES IN TO OBSTACLES - Two saw
land and blessing, while ten saw walls and giants. So often we miss the
opportunity hidden in the problem. Just beyond the challenge lies the
opportunity. Obstacles are meant to be
pushed out of the way. Often we here people mus-characterized as “the bad kid
that won’t change” or we hear people speak how “things have always been done
this way.” How often do we write people
off, not realizing that God has brought them our way? We become the agent of change to shape them
and direct them toward the kind of life God had intended for them?
OVERCOME THE
ASSUMPTIONS. The ten spies were looking
through the wrong lens. They already
assumed they couldn’t defeat the giants.
What we think we see is not always the reality. We often approach situations assuming we know
the outcome. This outcome is often based
on the limitations we let dictate our lives.
Don’t let the assumptions you have of people, places, or situations
remove you from moving forward in what God has for you. How often do we misjudge or misread a
situation, which keeps us from having the opportunity to make a difference?
DON’T LET FEAR BLOCK
THE BLESSING. The ten spies saw the
giants, and forgot the blessing God had for them. The promised land became an unopened gift
they would never receive, because fear became the roadblock. The land was already a guarantee. They simply needed to take it. Focus on what
God has placed before us, not on what stands in our way. What stands in our way will eventually be
behind us if we continue to move forward.
Remember, the giants only look big, but often it is simply a facade. Fear is a facade that has no
power.
TRUST WHAT GOD HAS
ALREADY GIVEN YOU. Don’t let Go of What God has already given you. God has already given you everything you need
to overcome the obstacles that stand in your way. The size of our obstacles
always diminish when held up to the glory of God. In the end, when we trust God
and allow him to lead us, we find out the giants weren’t giants at all.
What we Must Do?
a.
Trust
God and trust that He is leading you
b.
Find
and work with those who are going the same direction
c.
Keep
your eye on the promise not on the problem
d.
Change
your perspective of how you see obstacles
e.
Seek
wisdom and counsel from trusted mentors and leaders
f.
Always
keep the vision before you of what God has called you to do
What became of the other two spies? For 40 years, they wandered with the
others. However, God remembered their
faithfulness and willingness to move forward and take the land. In those years,
they would come to be trusted men who stood beside Moses, and were raised up to
lead. Of the twelve spies, Joshua and
Caleb would be the only ones to enter the land of promise. Not
only did they enter the land, but they led the others into what God had already
given to them so long ago. Trusting God not only becomes an opportunity to
be blessed, but also an opportunity to lead.
So when you look at obstacles and when you
face challenges, remember this: they only
look like Giants
No comments:
Post a Comment