Overcoming Obstacles

Obstacle or Opportunity?

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Here are a couple of questions to ponder:

What obstacles are in your path today? What is keeping you from making the changes you know need to be made in your life?

I don’t believe there are any of us who doesn’t need to change something in our lives. At the very least, we should want to be a better example of a disciple of Jesus Christ, and that invariably necessitates change.

Others who are reading this may be exploring faith, investigating whether you’ll accept the claims of Christ, and place your trust in Him. You know something needs to change in your life, but you’re uncertain what it may be. Some others are thinking about priorities in your life, knowing there are changes that need to be made. Still others are struggling with job issues, or relationship issues that call for something to change.

The Difficulty of Change

Change is difficult, even under the best circumstances. I won’t belabor that point here. I’ve written about that the previous two weeks (click here or here), but change is made more difficult after, having prayed, made the decisions and taken the first steps of faith, we encounter obstacles that seem too big to overcome.

It happens to us individually. After we’ve come to faith in Christ, having been assured our lives will be better, we soon discover that life didn’t get much better at all. We actually discover there are more challenges after coming to faith than there were before we came to faith. 

Change is difficult for organizations, too. Having in recent years purchased an existing business and inheriting a staff, I’ve discovered how hard it is for organizations to adapt to new leaders (and new leaders to adapt to existing staff).

It’s also true of churches that make decisions to change directions, or to make transitions in worship or facilities or leadership. Weeks, months, or even years of planning go into getting ready for the changes, and as soon as that “cross-over” is made, the obstacles spring up, seemingly out of nowhere.

Life is filled with obstacles that keep us from being all God called us to be, either individually or corporately. How do we face the challenge of overcoming the obstacles life puts in our way? That’s the question I’m pondering this morning.

Israel’s First Obstacle

The Old Testament book of Joshua tells the story of the nation of Israel “crossing over” to possess the Promised Land. They have encountered changes both in leadership and in their culture. Their leadership changed from Moses to Joshua, from a shepherd/manager to a military general, and the change brought its own degree of uncertainty as the nation crossed over into the Promised Land.

Soon after crossing over, the people faced their first obstacle. I first learned the story in Sunday school from the African-American spiritual Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho. If we know the song we know the Israelites won the victory. What were the keys to victory, and what might we discover for overcoming the obstacles that keep us from making the changes we need to make in our lives?

6 Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”
6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”

Joshua 6: 1 – 6 (NIV)

The Intimidation Factor

One reason we struggle so greatly in overcoming the obstacles in our own lives is because we are intimidated by them. We feel like we can’t overcome them, we don’t have the strength or the courage. Obstacles take many forms, and for the nation of Israel the obstacle is a city called Jericho. Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest cities on earth. Jericho has actually existed on three different sites through the centuries, all in relative proximity, and all 15 – 17 miles northeast of Jerusalem.

I’m certain the nation of Israel felt intimidated facing Jericho. The walls of the city were anywhere from 30 to 60 feet high and from 12 to 45 feet thick, depending on which archaeologist is consulted. The city wall was wide enough that a chariot could be driven along the top, and we know Rahab had her house there. The city gates were reinforced with iron and were impenetrable. Jericho was an imposing obstacle. The people had followed Joshua, crossed over the Jordan, and once in the Promised Land encounter this overwhelming obstacle. Obstacles can loom as an imposing wall in all our lives that prevent us from moving forward. They can seem too big to overcome.

Not only were Jericho’s walls intimidating, but remember, this was a nation of men who had not known what it was to fight a battle. If we read Chapter 5, we’d discover that all the men old enough to bear arms when they left Egypt were dead. Israel’s army was untrained and unproven, with only Joshua and Caleb who had any experience at all.

The nation of Israel had to overcome the obstacle of Jericho for several reasons.

First, it was strategic from a military perspective. Why couldn’t the nation just go around the city and be done? Because the city was allied with the other cities and kings around Canaan. If the nation bypassed Jericho, they would literally leave their rear flank open to attack in the future.

Second, it was important spiritually. Jericho represented everything that was foreign to the culture of Israel. Jericho’s primary god was the “moon god,” and without overcoming this obstacle, the nation took a chance on adopting the spiritual culture of Canaan.

Finally, it was important from a morale perspective. This was Israel’s first challenge and if they lost, it would be disastrous.

We can’t be overwhelmed or intimidated by our obstacles. Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles any of us have to face is our attitude. We face an obstacle and think, “I can’t do this.” Or, “I don’t want to do this,” or, “Why would God ask me to do this.” We think we can “cross-over” to faith and life will be great.

Don’t think life in the Promised Land will be without challenges. There will always be challenges in life. Don’t necessarily believe the center of God’s will is the safest place to be. It’s the best place to be, even if it’s not the safest or most comfortable. Just ask Jesus. No one was ever more in the center of God’s will, and it carried him all the way to the cross.

Attitude is everything. Zig Ziglar said, “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude.” Unfortunately, too many of us have negative attitudes, but I remind us that bad attitudes are like flat tires. If we don’t change them, we’ll never get anywhere. When we face obstacles, what do we see? Rather than obstacles, why not see opportunities? A positive attitude says there are no obstacles, only opportunities. Every obstacle is an opportunity to grow in faith and obedience.

The Opportunity of Faith

Every obstacle is an opportunity to grow in faith. Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down…” Joshua and the Israelites didn’t have anything but faith on their side. We have to trust God to guide us through the obstacles of life. This is a bit cliché, but what God has brought us to, God will bring us through.

Recall this poem:

Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way. 
Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day. 
Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high; 
Doubt questions, “Who believes?” Faith answers, “I.”

Anonymous

We’ve got a God who says all things are possible, and if we’ve got a God who says all things are possible, then all things are possible. That’s faith. Obstacles present us opportunities to grow in faith.

The Opportunity of Obedience

Every obstacle is also an opportunity to obey. God can ask us to do some of the silliest things. March around the city every day for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day, and then we’re supposed to shout? That’s silly. But, that was God’s plan.

Rarely do God’s plans make sense to us. What happens is we make our plans, ask God to bless them, and then scratch our head when He doesn’t. It doesn’t make sense to conquer a city just by walking around it. It doesn’t make sense to turn the other cheek when somebody is bullying us. It doesn’t make sense to humble ourselves so God can lift us up. It doesn’t make sense that if we try to save our life we’ll lose it, but if we give up our life for His sake we’ll find it. It doesn’t make sense that God would undergo torture and death, and it doesn’t make sense that God would turn around and trust frail, weak, half-hearted humans to share the message that brings redemption to God’s creation.

I had the opportunity to hear a colleague speak about the folly of the Gospel. That’s what he meant–God’s plan doesn’t always make sense. It’s folly to think God would use us. I guess that’s why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” If we wait for God to make sense when we’re facing obstacles, we could be waiting a long time. If we wait until we figure out what God is doing before we move, we may never move.

  • “God, you’re telling me to quit my job and go the mission field. That doesn’t make sense, but I’ll do it.” 
  • “God, you’re calling me to speak to the person who hurt me so badly. That doesn’t make sense, but I’ll do it.”
  • “God, you’re calling me to volunteer to lead a small group or a bible study. That doesn’t make sense, but I’ll do it.”
  • “God, you’re calling me to give more money? That doesn’t make sense, but I’ll do it.”

Do we believe Jeremiah 29:11? “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Want to know God’s plan for our lives? Then start obeying the part we already know because God doesn’t show us more of his plan until we obey the parts we already know. Mark Twain said, “It’s not the part of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me. It’s the parts I do understand.”

We already know God’s plan includes trusting Him, forgiving others, turning from sin, and sharing the Gospel. Let’s start there. Maybe he’ll reveal the rest of His plan.     

There is an old story of a king who had a boulder placed on a roadway. The king hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it, many of them loudly blaming the king for not keeping the roads clear, but not one did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then, a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. As he approached, the peasant laid down his load and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.

Spiritual obstacles are in fact an opportunity to grow in faith and obedience. We overcome obstacles when we see them as opportunities to trust and obey.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Dealing with Difficulties…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

psalm 46Henry David Thoreau once said every writer’s duty was to give “first and last, a simple and sincere account of their own life.” Most songwriters take that philosophy to heart, too. That’s certainly true with Taylor Swift. Almost all her songs have to do with break-ups with former boyfriends. I don’t want to diminish the pain felt by a teenager who endures a break-up—after all, pain is pain no matter the source, but the truth is that many great songs have been written out of the depth of painful experiences. It’s true of the great hymn of the church—A Mighty Fortress is Our God.

Martin Luther, the great reformer, penned the hymn in the 1520’s after the Diet of Worms at which he was charged with heresy, ex-communicated from the church and declared an outlaw. He lived the rest of his life in hiding. Through his trials and tribulations, Luther would proclaim, “A mighty fortress is our God…” Luther would take his famous hymn from another whose life had known hardship, the psalmist who penned Psalm 46.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
    God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
    see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

Psalm 46 is a song of radical trust in the face of overwhelming threat. The author never clarifies the nature of the threat, but reading the psalm it would indicate that is was likely a political threat, or possibly even in the midst of a war. One commentator speculates this was another of David’s psalms and was written at the time of the Assyrian invasion of Judah to give hope and assurance of God’s presence, protection and provision in the face of the invasion.

We Americans have our own illustration of that which the psalmist sang. We call it 9-11, and most of us here remember that date, don’t we? We remember where we were and what we were doing on that day. Even on the evening, we opened our churches and held prayer meetings, and it didn’t matter what pastors planned to preach that following Sunday, it was changed so that words of comfort and hope could be spoken. There were countless sermons that called on this 46th Psalm to bring words of comfort and hope to people whose foundation had been shaken. Politically, our world has been shaken. We don’t know quite what to do with it.

Culturally, too, we feel the ground shaking around us. There are some significant cultural shifts taking place in this world. They are happening so quickly it’s like the earth is shifting underneath our feet and we can’t seem to get our footing solidly underneath us before the next shift is taking place. Technology has hastened much of that shift. The changing of societal norms has hastened that shift. We scratch our heads dealing with one cultural earthquake, and before we can figure out how to deal with that one, the next one is already overwhelming us. From same-sex marriage to climate change to immigration reform to the disintegration of the family to the legalization of drugs we’re faced daily with questions and more questions, and we’re not sure we like all the answers.

Individually, too, we can feel the earth move under our feet. We get the word from the doctor—“It’s cancer”—and the mountain crumbles. Our marriage fails and we wonder what happened. We lose a child tragically and there seems to be no reason to live. We lose our job and we’re left to wonder how we’ll manage to feed the kids and pay the mortgage. We lose again the battle with some addiction and we just get tired. All we want to do is give up the fight. Our interior lives can be shaken by the brokenness of our own sin. And, the ground shakes, the earth quakes, the mountains crumble, and we need hope. What do we do? We do exactly what the psalmist did. We cry out to God. We put our trust in him.

I see three truths the psalmist acknowledges that allowed him to put his trust in God. The first truth the psalmist acknowledged is this: God is real. The psalmist begins, “God is…” I’ve been a pastor for almost 25 years, and the one thing I’ve learned is the more I learn about God the more I discover I don’t know about God. The closer I get to God, the more questions I have about God. That does not, however, cause me to doubt the existence of God. William Murray says, “Humanism or atheism is a wonderful philosophy of life as long as you are big, strong, and between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. But watch out if you are in a lifeboat and there are others who are younger, bigger, or smarter.”

We live much of our lives as what Craig Groeschel calls Christian athiests. Christian athiests are those who believe God exists but live their lives as though He doesn’t. We’re like the atheist in London making a speech at Hyde Park who said, “My hatred of religion is inherited; my grandfather was an atheist; my father was an atheist; and, thank God, I’m an atheist, too.” When we live as Christian atheists, we wander away from God. We foster violence in movies, television and music. We become obsessed with lust. We allow greed to possess us. We kill unborn children for the sake of convenience. And, when the ground shakes beneath our feet, we tremble in fear and live with the anxiety. but, when we believe God is real, we find God is our refuge and strength. We don’t live in fear. I love how the psalmist says it in verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” We hear the words “be still,” and immediately we think of getting quiet. We think of solitude and silence. There is an element in that, but the Hebrew literally means “cease and desist”—stop what you’re doing. It’s like God is speaking to two fighting children and says, “Stop that!” Stop what you’re doing. Stop being afraid. Stop worrying. Trust me. Acknowledge that I am.

I wish I could prove God is real. I would want to point to the beach to prove God is real. I lay at the beach, especially at night, and I see the stars spread across the vast universe and I think, “This couldn’t just happen!” I hear the waves roaring and beating against the shore, and it reminds me of God’s majesty and power. The apostle Paul said creation was the best evidence of God’s existence. He wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen” (Rom. 1:20). I lie there and I know it’s the sun and moon and gravity all working together, but I consider the fact that the earth is the perfect distance from the sun to support life. If we were any farther away from the sun, we would freeze; if we were even slightly closer to it, we would burn up. It’s obvious (to me, anyway) that God is real. I would also point to babies and beetles, to the bible and to the fact that the church exists. I would point to Jesus, and to my relationship with him, but it would all be pointless if I proved he were real because then it wouldn’t be faith. By faith, we acknowledge that God is real, and though our whole world crumbles around us, we will not be afraid.

The second thing I see the psalmist acknowledge is that God is present—always! We experience tragedy in our lives, or in our culture, or in our nation and we ask, “Where was God?” Where was God on 9/11? Where was God at Sandy Hook Elementary School? Where was God in my cancer? Where is God in all this cultural upheaval? The same place he was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were rebelling. God was present waiting to cover their sin. Was He really present? Couldn’t He have stopped it before it began? Oh, it is not a matter of whether or not He could have. It is a matter of our choice. But, He was there!

God was with Joseph when he was rotting in jail – ever present. (Gen 37-50) If ever anyone’s world came crashing down, it was Joseph’s. Yet with all his hardships, problems and abuse, Joseph was able to honestly say, “You meant it for harm, but God meant it for good.” God was there when his brothers sold him into slavery, and God was there when Potiphar’s wife accused him of rape, and God was even there as he languished in prison. Every step of the way, God was able to take Joseph’s circumstances and mold him ever more closely into the man he would one day become. He was there all the time, though I am sure Joseph must have wondered at times where God was, in the end all knew well He was there all the time.

We could go on and on and tell of experiences such as Moses (Ex. 1-4) on the backside of the desert – being prepared for greater service. Or, Samson (Jud 14-16) groping in darkness – being strengthened in his hour of weakness. Or, Peter & John (Acts 3-5) beaten for preaching the Gospel – being given greater opportunities for sharing the good news of Christ. Or Paul (Acts 14-28) being stoned, shipwrecked and imprisoned – yet being assured that all things work together for good to them who love God.

“Where was God?” The same place He was on a Friday when His own son’s life was being taken from Him. Ever present – Jesus was God in the flesh, enduring the pain for the benefit of others. And even the Father didn’t flee the scene. Even Jesus felt forsaken, and asked God why His presence wasn’t felt. But God was present, and sin ran its course, and that is always a most ugly scene! Where was God when His Son hung dying on the cross? Didn’t He know? Shouldn’t Jesus have been able to come down from that cross? Couldn’t the Father have prevented it? Was He helpless? Didn’t He care?

Of course, He knew! Of course He could have stopped it! And, Of course He cared! The Father knew it was happening, could have stopped it, but He didn’t. And, aren’t we glad! There was a greater good to be accomplished by the suffering and death of Jesus. Through the suffering of One, many would be made whole. Through the sacrifice of One, many would have their sins forgiven. Through the death of One, many would be made alive.

God is ever present, even when the world comes crashing down around us.

One final thing to acknowledge, briefly—God is in control. That knowledge should enable us to see our circumstances in the light of eternity. Sometimes, life is like being in a waiting room. You know there’s something wrong but you’re not quite sure what it is. You just want to see the doctor and find out what’s wrong so you can get it fixed. A waiting room can be an unpleasant and unhappy place. You want this to be over and not have to wait any more. It is all you can do to obey the scripture that says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Jill Briscoe says, “I remember a time when I was waiting for soon to become now. I went down in Oconomowoc to a little lake where we live, and I sat there very early in the morning, praying, pleading with God that my soon would become now. ‘God, I cannot see you working. What about all these prayers that people are praying? This is a terrible situation. What are you doing about it?’ God said to me, ‘Any fish in that lake?’ I looked at the lake, which was like glass, and I said, ‘Sure. Of course there are fish there.’ ‘How do you know? Do you have to see fish jump to believe they’re there, Jill?’ I remember sitting there for a long time until I could say to God, ‘If I never see a fish jump, I will believe they’re there and active. If I never see you answer a prayer, I will believe.’ We all have a choice when trouble comes knocking at our door. We can curse God and die, or we can trust God and grow.”

Whatever circumstance you’re facing—God’s got it. Whatever our culture is facing—God’s got it! Whatever our church is facing—God’s got it! Let’s put our trust in Him. Let’s live obediently to Him! Let’s be faithful, come what may. That’s the song the psalmist is singing. If we sing it, too, we’ll discover that God is actually writing a song from our lives, taking the good and making it better, and taking the bad and working it for good, and in the end, it’ll be a sweet, sweet song of faith and hope.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Some days are like that…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

I can’t remember where I heard the saying, but as a preacher, I appreciate the sentiment: “It’s better to have something to say than to have to say something.” That’s the way I felt Sunday–I had a lot more to say than I had time to say it. It was communion Sunday, and it was All Saints Sunday, so that meant time for the sermon was limited (yes, there are those who wish time for the sermon was limited every week–but, that’s another blog!). I’m currently preaching a sermon series entitled Crossings: Facing the Challenge of Change, and Sunday’s message was “Overcoming Obstacles,” from Joshua 6. I really felt like I didn’t have enough time to do the passage or the story justice. To use another old cliche, I felt like I left too much meat on the bone.

Of course, I shouldn’t be too bummed about it, though. One of my old preaching professors taught us not to use all our material in one sermon. We will have to preach again someday. I don’t know if others find this to be the case, but it’s harder for me to write a short sermon than it is to write a longer one. And, I never know if I’m leaving out the right stuff or including the wrong stuff in the sermon when I shorten it. I suppose that’s why the Holy Spirit is so important in preaching, huh?

I also believe the power of the Holy Spirit makes it impossible to preach the same sermon twice. Yes, I might use the same manuscript, but something has changed. I notice it every Sunday morning. We have three worship hours at FUMC, MONROE every Sunday morning, and the same manuscript doesn’t preach the same way at any of the three. There are three participants in every sermon: The Holy Spirit, the preacher and the audience. If the preacher has prepared appropriately, the Holy Spirit has been active throughout the process, and He is certainly active in the moment of the preaching. I can preach the same manuscript, but the work of the Holy Spirit determines what the congregation hears, what they respond to, what touches their heart, and I’ve discovered every group will respond to different parts of the message. I just find that fact interesting, and I just laugh when I hear a preacher say they never preach the same sermon twice. I’m of the considered opinion that if a sermon was good once, it can only get better with use. But, I ramble…

So? What did I leave out? I’m glad you asked! Click on the link “Overcoming Obstacles” above to hear the sermon, so I won’t rehash it here, but I left out (at least for me) one major point: Obstacles in life present an opportunity to learn patience. I know patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit, but this is one area where the Spirit continues to challenge and convict me. I’ve often said I’ve quit praying for patience because the Lord doesn’t give me patience. He gives me opportunities to learn patience, and that becomes very frustrating.

I can’t imagine how frustrating it must have been for the nation of Israel to march around the city of Jericho every day. Day one–walk around the city, and wait. Day two–walk around the city, and wait. Day three–well, you get the picture. The city was only 8 – 12 acres (depending on the commentator consulted), so it couldn’t have taken more than an hour to walk around it. Suffice it to say, there was a whole lot more sitting and waiting than there was marching. I’m thinking that got old after the first couple of days, but this was more about doing God’s work God’s way than it was about the conquest itself. Sometimes, there are days we have to wait for God’s plan to unfold. As frustrating as it can be for us in our digital, get-it-now world, waiting (ergo, patience) is a spiritual discipline–and one we desperately need to practice these days.

traffic lightI’ve learned I need to count to three when the traffic light in front of me changes from red to green. If I don’t, I’m likely to get run over. It’s because fewer people pay attention to red lights anymore. I was sitting at an intersection near the church I serve last week. I was stopped because my light was red. My light changed to green. I counted to three. As I started to move, this lady in her nice SUV turned in front of me, either oblivious to the fact she just ran a red light, or not caring that she ran a red light. I would like to pass it off to inattentiveness on her part, but I’ve witnessed too many people, not hastening through caution lights, but blatantly running red lights. A person can get killed these days!

What’s the lesson, you ask? Beyond “Don’t run red lights,” you mean? Try this:

I think too many of us see red lights as obstacles that keep us from where we want to go, where we NEED to be (as though where we need to be is any more important than where anyone else needs to be, but that, too, is another blog). Rather than seeing red lights as obstacles, why not view them as opportunities to learn patience, to use red lights as a spiritual discipline? Why not use the time sitting at red lights to give thanks to God for my vehicle? Why not use the time sitting at red lights to pray for my family, or my co-workers, or friends? Why not use the time sitting at red lights to pray for the person in the car next to me? Why can’t I see that red light as an opportunity to be patient? Honestly, it generally takes more than one prayer to see the hand of God move. Every circuit around the city of Jericho was an opportunity to pray for the hand of God to move through the nation of Israel. Every red light can be an opportunity to pray for the hand of God to move in our lives, or the lives of someone else.

God’s timing is always right. Sometimes, we have to do some marching around to see what God can do. Now, here’s my confession…I blew my horn at the lady in the SUV! Whew! I feel better now.

Until next time, keep looking up…