Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
The Church of Galatia used to preach uncompromisingly and unceasingly. However, something died down in them and stopped them from being zealous to God, so what was their hindrance?
Hindrance from Running
Hindrances happen because we run well for the Lord.
Often times we think that if our personal struggle is finally conquered and resolved, the hindrances in our lives will be gone too. Then we will be able to serve God uncompromisingly.
Surprisingly, hindrances actually occur when our lives go well, especially when we are finally rejoicing in the Lord, and serving him well.
This is because Satan is the adversary, and he is the one that is putting all hindrances in the way to stop us from living a peaceful and joyful life. Hindrance can be such a nuisance, we need to constantly allow the Spirit of God to convict us, and breathe through us mightily so that we can overcome these hindrances with strength.
Genesis 24:54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
The simplest way to resolve these hindrances is to continue to run well for the Lord so that we can win the streak of blessings from God. Keep in mind that if we let Satan’s hindrances get in the way and stop our growth, no more how legitimate they are, we may just have to start all over again to receive God’s rewards and blessings.
Ezra 6:8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
God’s blessings are not for us to be spoiled with, they are for us to get rid of the hindrances more effectively and productively. Think of the good health we are being blessed with, not to mention financial security, gifts of speaking, preaching etc. They are not just present to make us happy, but for us to use them wisely to do God’s work! If we don’t fully utilize God’s blessings to serve Him, it is no surprise that God will remove these blessings from us.
Hindrance from Recognizing
Hindrance happens when we recognize and identify what are the things that hinder us to serve God.
What are our reasons or excuses, knowing we need to be answerable to God one day at the judgment seat of Christ?
Once we identify what are the factors that hinder us, it is much easier to get rid of them thus serving God more effectively.
All the fleshiness of our sins, or sinfulness of our behaviors, are not only taking away much of our precious time. They are taking away our blessings from God.
Imagine if we can remove those hindrances, just how much more we can do for the Lord.
Don’t let our sinfulness get in the way of hindering us, we need to trust in the Lord, that He will help us go through and get rid of these hindrances, and to conquer the obstacles in our lives.
It starts with ourselves of course, but at one point, God may use us as a blessing to others, to remove the hindrances in their lives too! Imagine how much of a blessing we can be for others; isn’t this supposed to be our calling, to be the salt and light to others?
Other times, what may hold some of us back could be our fear of making mistakes. This kind of fear can be a hindrance. Nonetheless, if we were to overcome this fear or persevere through it, we will be surprised at how much we can achieve. Again, it is about trusting the Lord that He will look after us. We should learn from our mistakes, and embrace them.
Interestingly and thirdly, the Church itself can be a hindrance, given that if one were to follow the wrong doctrine or denomination.
We know at this point, that some churches provide false teachings to their followers, hence leading them towards the wrong path.
This is why a lot of Christians may not have their prayers answered or are always afflicted because they do not receive full blessings from God.
Learn to get right with God, so that we can serve Him right and all the way according to His will, because the will of God will never contradict with our spiritual walk, it should not be!
Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Hindrance from Rebelling
If we were hindered to serve God, that itself is an act of rebellion.
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
One simple solution to overcome the hindrance is to put the word of God and the will of God first!
Make it a commitment to serve God, start small, but seek to grow along the way. Serving God should be a mandatory or compulsory daily agenda, just like meeting our daily physiological needs such as breathing, eating, drinking etc.
If we were to shift our mindset to think of it that way, then serving God will become more and more natural, regardless of how powerful or legitimate the hindrance is.
Let’s ask ourselves, do we stop ourselves from eating, drinking, and breathing every day despite how busy we are?
What is your hindrance today? Rebuke it in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.