Unhindered

Hinder: to make slow or difficult the progress of something

Have you ever tried to run a race while dragging a heavy weight behind you? In the natural, this would clearly hinder our forward movement. So often we try and run the race of life and struggle to move forward because we are hindered by various things life has either thrown at us or by our own wrong thinking.

I believe the most powerful hindrance in the last two years has been that of discouragement. It has seemed like a never-ending season that has affected both the world at large and many on a very personal and painful level.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, so that we can run with perseverance. This indicates that there are things other than sin that hinder us or slow us down. When I think of my own life, some of the things that have slowed me down in different seasons have been fear of the unknown, worrying about what others might say, wrong thinking about my identity and not fixing my eyes on Jesus.

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and he walks out of the tomb with his hands and feet still wrapped in burial cloth. Jesus’ first command to Lazarus was, “come out.” His second command was to “take off the grave clothes and let him loose.”

Too often, though we are alive in Christ, we are hindered by grave clothes.

So let’s use the Word as our weapon to take off what hinders us and let’s run the race that the Lord in His great love has set before us!

Hindrance : Discouragement

Weapon: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.””

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hindrance : Believing I’m not good enough, I don’t qualify…

Weapon: “and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NIV

Hindrance: Fear

Weapon: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hindrance: Mistaken identity

Weapon: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NIV

Hindrance: Condemnation

Weapon: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hindrance: Unbelief

Weapon: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hindrance: Fear of the future

Weapon: “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.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I want to encourage us to pick up the sword of the Spirit and throw off that which hinders by declaring the word of God over our lives, over our circumstances. The word tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:4 that the weapons we fight with have divine power to demolish strongholds. Let’s demolish strongholds of discouragement and run the race He has for us!