No Man Can Hinder Me

It's been quite a while since I've written, and I've realized something. It seems like I tend to write only when I have screwed up or learned a lesson about things in my life that need to change. At least I can say I have a teachable, moldable heart? That's a good thing, since I seem to make more mistakes than most. This post is no exception to the rule, I'll tell you that right now.

Our church is in the second quarter of the Big Story. For those of you who don't know what that is, we are all reading the entire Bible chronologically this year in order to see the big picture of the scriptures. In a way it's hard, because I like to take time to see the little details. On the other hand, though, it is really cool to sit back & see God's hand weaving His story of redemption from the very beginning. It has also been very exciting to see how the Lord has begun to open the eyes of individuals and show them how they fit into His story as well. There have been a lot of things that have hit me very personally through this process. The truth is, I haven't written at all this year because those things are a bit too personal to share. And some of them are even going to take quite a bit more thought & processing time.

There is one thing, though, that has hit me full force in the past few weeks. It is something that needs to be changed immediately. I am not what most people would call a people pleaser in the normal sense of the word. In fact, if I feel like there is something I HAVE to do in order to be accepted or liked, I generally intentionally avoid that thing. It's the, "I don't have to prove anything to you," kind of attitude that is not necessarily a good thing. That old chip on my shoulder that God will probably still be whittling away at when I show up at Heaven's gate. Sometimes He takes a big chunk out of it, and that's painful. Maybe one of these days I'll learn my lesson & just throw it away. But I digress...

The opposite of that kind of people pleasing is very true of me, though. If there are things inside of me-opinions, feelings, ideas, stories, etc.-that I know will result in rejection, I keep them inside. I'm not talking about mean, ugly hateful things that don't need to come out. I'm talking about good, Godly, God-given things that He put inside of me to make me who I am.

I'm not one to jump on the "book bandwagon". You know, when a book comes out that becomes a sudden hit and everyone wants to read it & follow it, and expects everyone else to do the same or be deemed not cool or not a good enough Christian. That is why this spring has been a weird time for me. A friend suggested the book, "Chasing the Wild Goose" by Mark Batterson. I have read it twice. This week I finished another of his books, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". When I had originally read the chapter headings of that one, I rejected it. I thought I was already willing to take any risk God asked me to take, so why read the book. Then, during the course of the Big Story, we read about Benaiah in the pit with the lion on a snowy day. So, I just had to go get that book :) As I read it I realized that if I say something that is totally innocent, yet someone takes offense, or if I share a dream or an idea and someone laughs, I will beat myself up for years and step back inside of myself again. I don't take risks with my heart, my dreams & my ideas because they might possibly offend someone or make them uncomfortable. I put the opinions of a few people ahead of the desire & leading of God. And that does not please the Lord. Not at all.

So many times my kids are part of what convicts me as well. Lynnea is in the gospel choir ather school. In almost every concert they sing the song, "No Man Can Hinder Me". This week I heard them sing it on Thursday & tonight. The Lord used that to show me the same lesson in a different way-I am allowing people to hinder me from the freedom of being who He created me to be and doing what He created me to do.


So here are some thoughts that are somewhat painful, but, if they helped me, they might help you, too.
-There are some people who will hold your past over your head until they die. They will never forgive you, and they will hear everything you say & see everything you do through the lens of who you used to be. There is nothing you can do about that. But their lack of forgiveness in no way hinders God from forgiving you.
-There are some groups that you will never be able to truly fit into because one or more of those people has something against you. This can be your past, but it can also be jealousy, bitterness, a rejection of your dream, or an inability to see potential in you. There is nothing you can do about that. But their rejection in no way hinders the value God sees in you, because He put it there.
-There are people who will laugh at your dreams & visions. They may be jealous because they don't have dreams of their own. They may not be able to see God in the vision, because He gave it to you, not them. The realization of your dream may affect their life in what they perceive as a negative way. There is nothing you can do about that. But their inability or unwillingness to support or encourage you can in no way hinder the Lord from fulfilling His desire & plan for your life. If He put it there, He will make it happen. His promises are not affected by the opinions of people.

There are so many things that can hold you back from your dreams, from taking a risk for the Lord. Most of those are things you can do nothing about. So, it really all comes down to focus. Who and what are you focusing on? If your spiritual & emotional focus is on the Lord, your heart is focused on seeking Him first, and your effort is focused on obeying Him fully, He will realize the dream He put in your heart and the purpose He has for your life. As Mark Batterson says, "God is much more concerned about getting you where He wants you to be than you are about getting where He wants you to go." (And yes, I am going to order his other two books, too :) ) If your focus, though, is on the pessimists, the naysayers, the intentionally hurtful & hateful, you will never accomplish anything. And if I never accomplish anything for God, it will be because I let a few people, who should never be given permission to speak into my life, turn my focus from the One who deserves it. I have spent too many years allowing that to happen, and I will not do it anymore. No man can hinder me!